Do You Need a Family Law Attorney?

Unfortunately many people have issues that need to be settled in a court of law. Many of these issues are difficult ones that involve children. In order to make sure that everything is handled properly, people will usually retain the services of a family law attorney.

A family law attorney handles a variety of issues. Some of these issues include adoption, child support, visitation and custody, alimony, divorce, mediation, prenuptial agreements, and juvenile delinquency. The lawyer’s job is to listen to the client and then determine what will be the best legal solution to their problem.

One of the most common issues this type of lawyers deals with is divorce. Divorce is never an easy situation and it is one that can affect every member of the household. It is up to the lawyer to focus on the legal strain of divorce so that clients can focus on the wellbeing of their loved ones. Some of the issues that the family law attorney will focus on include child custody and visitation, child support, division of marital debts, sale or possession of the marital home, spousal support and temporary support and distribution of personal property, bank accounts, stocks, and other assets.

Custody issues are perhaps one of the toughest areas a family law attorney will handle for their clients. Custody can range from sole custody with no visitation, to custody equally shared between both parents. There are a variety of factors that a judge will consider when making a custody decision. Some of these include the capacity of each parent to provide the child with food, clothing, medical care and other material needs; the love, affection and emotional ties between each parent and the child; the mental and physical health of each parent; the moral fitness of each parent as it affects the child’s welfare; the home, school and community of the child; and how much responsibility each parent has previously taken in raising the child.

In some cases a lawyer must represent a grandparent in court. In many cases grandparents are forced to step in and raise their grandchildren, due to the parent’s issues with drugs, incarceration or even being deceased. Some parents will try to keep grandparents from seeing their grandchildren, regardless of how positive of a relationship they may have. The court always tries to consider what is best for the welfare of the child so it is always a good idea to have a lawyer in court to help people navigate through the complicated legal system.

A family law attorney has a very difficult job. Because they deal with so many different issues, it can be very difficult to decide who to hire. Potential clients are usually entitled to a free initial consultation with the lawyer to see if they actually provide the service that will be most beneficial. It is important for people to hire a lawyer that will work tirelessly for them and who has their best interests at heart.