What is Family Law?

Familylaw is the area of law that governs legal relationships between familymembers such as husbands, wives, parents, children, and domestic partners. Yourfamily law attorneycan help you resolve legal issues dealing with:

·        Adoption

·        Child custody

·        Child support

·        Divorce

·        Visitation rights

·        Domestic violence

·        Juvenile dependency and delinquency

·        Division of marital property

·        Spousal support

·        Paternity

·        Prenuptial agreements

·        Child abuse

Family law falls under the umbrella of state law. Therefore,the resolution of these issues will vary from state to state. It is importantto work with a family law attorney who understands the specifics of the familylaw statutes in your particular state.

Divorce

Divorce is one of the most common legal issues handled by afamily law attorney. While a divorce may be one of the most traumatic andstressful times in your life, a good family law attorney can help you navigatethrough the divorce process in a way that helps you more easily begin to moveon with your life.

While it is important for your divorce attorney to alwayshave your best interests in mind, it is also important that he advocate foryour children. When young children are involved in a divorce proceeding, it isimportant to consider their interests as well. This will benefit all parties inthe long run, and help make your children’s transition into divorced life muchsmoother.

Child Custody andSupport

Child custody and child support can be some of the mostsensitive and acrimonious aspects of a divorce. Quite often, both parents wantto spend as much time as possible with the children. A good divorce attorneycan help you and your estranged spouse strike a balance so that both parentscan spend meaningful time with the children in a way that accommodateseveryone’s scheduling needs.

In many states, child support is determined based on theincome of the non-custodial parent. In other words, the non-custodial parentwill be required to pay the custodial parent a percentage of his or her incomebased on the number of dependent children that need support. Your divorceattorney should be able to calculate this figure for you.

Adoption

If you are unable to have children, a family law attorneymay be able to help you experience the joys of parenthood through adoption.

Adoption laws are highly complex, so it is important to work with an attorneywho thoroughly understands these laws and regulations. Some attorneys onlyhandle adoptions of children born in the United States, while others will alsodo international adoptions. It is important to check with your attorney to findout how he can best help through the adoption process.