What does a Family Law Attorney do? Family law firms specialize in issues like adoption, paternity, child custody, spousal support, and inheritance. They also handle other complicated family related issues like immigration, estate planning, and other forms of complex family law matters. If you or a loved one are going through a crisis relating to family-related issues, then a Family Law Attorney is the person to turn to.
How does a family law attorney to help you with family relationships? A good family law attorney will first examine the marital relationship between you and your spouse. They will then examine the behavior and actions of both parties during the course of your relationship. Family relationships also require the analysis of how the marriage came to be in the first place and what changes were made to the relationship after the marriage. A good family law attorney will also look at how prenuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements affect your family relationships and the consequences of those agreements should you ever need to litigate those matters.
How does a family law attorney to help you with custody and financial support? Custody and financial support are very difficult and controversial subjects for a Family Law Attorney. The most important issues to consider are the physical, legal, emotional, and psychological needs of the children involved. A good Family Law Attorney will work diligently to get all parties to agree to a custody agreement that benefits all parties involved. Additionally, an attorney will work aggressively to get the courts to recognize the best interests of the children.
What can a family law attorney do for me if I am having a dispute over child custody or spousal support? Once a divorce has been finalized, the marital assets must be distributed. Usually this is done through a court ordered evaluation of who gets what and the party requesting that certain assets be awarded first. If there are no issues regarding alimony, but there are issues regarding financial support such as a stay at home spouse who needs to continue making payments to their spouse, or if the party paying alimony wants more money or is simply unable to make the payments, then a family law attorney will file an action seeking to have the court order for spousal or child support be modified. Modifying the terms of a divorce decree is quite common and a competent attorney will be able to make sure the modification is done correctly and with an eye toward equity and fairness.
Child support is another common issue between divorced couples. Many divorcing parents wonder whether or not they can retain the services of family law attorneys when determining the amount of child custody, they will be entitled to. Often, a judge will order two parents to agree on a percentage of custody and family law attorneys will petition with the court to have that percentage awarded to the parent with the highest percentage.
Modifying prenuptial agreements is also an area of common interest between divorced couples. These agreements often take care of some of the concerns that may arise, including who takes care of minor children. In many cases, these agreements are considered part of the marital records and thus require a simple signature on the end of the document. Once this has been done, the agreement becomes part of the official records and is available to any court that asks for it. If either spouse wants to dispute or challenge the accuracy of the document, a competent family lawyer can often depose witnesses and document that the agreement was made properly. A skilled family lawyer will know which witnesses to call and can show that the witness’s statements are truthful and accurate, allowing the courts to rule in favor of the spouse seeking the modification.