A family lawyer is a professional who handles all legal matters related to family relationships. They understand the intricacies of Family Law and are up-to-date with the most recent judgments regarding this field. They help clients resolve family disputes, handle settlements, and provide the required legal advice. A trusted and reliable family lawyer will offer straightforward advice on all aspects of family law issues.
What does a Family Lawyer Handle?
The family lawyer handles all legal matters related to the family. They offer advice, negotiate settlements outside the court, and handle matters in court as well. Lawyers will also guide clients through the application and documentation process to ensure all legal paperwork filed is accurate. Here are the types of cases the family lawyer can handle:
- Divorce – These are some of the most common cases family lawyers have to handle. Each partner in a divorce case needs a family lawyer to represent them and their interest. The first goal is to avoid taking the case to court as much as possible. Most divorce cases are negotiated and resolved outside of court.
The parties come to an agreement and sign the contracts. These agreements are then filed in court by the family lawyers on each side. Sometimes divorce cases have to go to court because both parties can’t come to an agreement. The family lawyers handle the arguments on both sides and attempt to get their clients the resolution they want.
- Child custody and child support – During a divorce, child custody and support payments are important issues if the couple has children. While divorce is final, child customer settlements and agreements can change over time. For example, the child support conditions can change if one parent’s financial situation changes and they’re unable to fully finance care.
- Paternity – Paternity cases are usually filed by the mother if she wants or needs child support from an absentee father. Sometimes men will file such cases to gain access to the child and establish a relationship with them. The paternity is determined through DNA testing and the reports are presented to the court. The court then decides on the child support, custody, and other related matters.
- Adoption and foster care – Adoption is a very complicated process and it’s important to get legal advice from an experienced family attorney. A lawyer will understand all the relevant laws regarding adoption and will pay attention to all recent developments in this field. This allows them to guide the prospective parents through the legal minefield effectively and ensure they can welcome a new member to their family eventually.
Foster care isn’t as complicated as full adoption because there aren’t as many rules and regulations involved. However, it’s still a good idea to get advice from a reliable and skilled family lawyer.
What to expect?
Most family lawyers will offer a free first consultation to discuss the basics of the case and the related concerns. Clients can use this opportunity to become familiar with the lawyer and determine if they want to continue working with them. During the first few meetings, the lawyer will:
- Ask a few questions regarding the case and understand your requirements.
- Study all the legal documents related to the case to determine its scope.
- Provide a thorough analysis of the case and explain your options.
- Plan the course of action to take in order to win the case.
Once the plan is set, the family lawyer will go on to collecting the evidence they need and prepare a set of arguments.