Many people don’t realize that lawyers specialize in certain fields in the same way that doctors do. For any situation involving parent-child relationships or other legal family relationships, you need a family law attorney. A family lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in legal cases involving marriage, children, and custody. Family lawyers are capable of handling a wide variety of situations, the basics of which will be covered here.
paternity
Paternity, the state of being someone’s father, is usually determined through a DNA test. This can be done by the father when he tries to claim custody or by the mother when she tries to claim child support. In a legal situation, a family attorney could navigate the legal processes necessary to order and/or validate paternity status.
child custody
Custody is awarded to an adult who is considered the best choice as the primary guardian and caretaker for a child. Child custody decisions are made with the best interests of the child as the primary focus. An attorney must be able to identify these interests and work for them in court, looking at factors such as the relationship between the parents, histories of abuse or liability, and the parents’ geographic locations.
child support
“Child support” is a sum of money that a parent is legally obligated to send to the spouse who maintains custody of the child. Parents’ income, health insurance, cost of health care, and pre-existing child support obligations are all considered when determining new child support obligations. Child support is intended to be used for medical care, education related costs, food, clothing, etc.
Visitation
Divorced parents usually establish a visitation schedule. A competent attorney can fight in court for a client’s visitation rights with her child, as well as ensure that a child is safely removed from any dangerous situation.
Mediation
Mediation is a common approach to resolving family disputes in which a third party tries to mediate between the two parties to reach a compromise. In a brief scenario, you, your spouse, and both attorneys are usually present.
application
The court will generally take steps after a case to ensure that both parties involved follow the court’s orders and rulings regarding any of the aforementioned situations. A family lawyer will be able to help you if you believe that you or the other parent have violated a court order.
Do you need a family lawyer?
Dealing with any court and legal process can be overwhelming and confusing. A family law attorney can both help mediate and navigate the intimidating legal process. Additionally, a family lawyer can advise you on the appropriate course of action when dealing with a legal dispute.