Working with a knowledgeable family lawyer helps protect your family and plan for the future. Marriage, divorce, child custody, adoption, reproductive rights, domestic violence, and estate planning are all areas of practice for family lawyers.
Drafting and reviewing prenuptial agreements
For couples planning to marry, a prenuptial agreement allows you to define financial and property rights in the event of separation or divorce. A prenup includes terms for dividing assets, alimony, inheritance rights, and more. An experienced family lawyer drafts an enforceable prenup protecting both spouses’ interests and reviews any prenup before signing to ensure fairness and compliance with state laws. The divorce process is extremely emotional and stressful for couples and children. Working with a family lawyer who provides mediation services makes reaching divorce settlements faster, easier and less adversarial. Through mediation, spouses negotiate major issues like child custody, spousal support, and division of marital property outside of court.
Guiding contested divorces
When spouses cannot agree and come to an amicable divorce settlement, the case goes to court for a judge to decide. A family lawyer advocates for your interests during a contested divorce by managing court filings and paperwork, gathering evidence, performing asset valuations, calling expert witnesses, negotiating with your spouse’s lawyer, and representing you in court. Their legal expertise increases your chances of a favorable divorce decree. Child custody battles the most heart-wrenching part of divorce. Family lawyers handle negotiations and court proceedings to establish custody plans protecting children’s best interests. This involves determining physical and legal custody, visitation rights, relocation issues, school choice, healthcare, child support, and more. They also modify custody orders as circumstances change.
Handling complex adoptions
Adopting a child domestically or internationally involves reams of paperwork and complex legal requirements. Adoption lawyers are vital for guiding clients through every step of the adoption process. They help complete applications and home studies, work with birth parents on relinquishment rights, assist with international adoptions and travel visas, and finalize adoption paperwork and court procedures. Having children is a deeply personal decision. Family lawyers help clients understand and exercise their reproductive rights through services like establishing parental rights of unmarried couples, litigating right-to-life issues, and advising on surrogacy contracts and sperm donor agreements. They also represent clients regarding contraception, abortion, sterilization and fertility procedures.
Obtaining restraining and protection orders
family lawyer specialists help domestic violence victims escape abuse and protect their children. Attorneys represent their clients in obtaining court restraining orders or protective orders to prevent abusers from contacting, threatening, or physically harming them. They also initiate legal consequences for offenders who violate court orders. Planning for inheritance of your property and assets will give you peace of mind that your spouse, children and heirs are provided for after your death. Family lawyers assist in creating customized estate plans that minimize estate taxes and bequeath your assets appropriately. This involves setting up trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. They also represent estates during probate court proceedings after you pass away.
