Some of the main functions of a family lawyer are, including things like child custody and mediation. However, the job of a family lawyer doesn’t stop there, as there are countless things to consider and deal with when it comes to matters of parents, children, and spouses. Potential clients as well as anyone who is considering legal action in these areas should understand the facets of the law with which they can be helped. A premiere family law, divorce, mediation, and child custody lawyers, needs to inform, educate, and represent clients in the best fashion possible.
Child Support
Generally speaking, child support is a sum of money paid when parents are divorced to cover the costs of living for a child or children. This is almost always paid by the non-custodial parent to the parent with primary custody. In layman’s terms, the parent with whom the child does not live the majority of the time pays the majority-time parent a sum of money to cover expenses. Child support can entail numerous things depending on the divorce agreement and decrees, but almost always covers basic necessities like food, medical care and coverage, and schooling. Calculation of child support payments often come down to adherence of set guidelines and almost always applies to biological parents of the child.
Alimony
When spouses decide to terminate a marriage, it may be the case that one was dependent on the other in a financial capacity. This can mean anything from one spouse having been unemployed to care for children, between jobs, or simply making less than their counterpart. In these cases, alimony comes into play when the divorce agreements are being drawn up. Alimony, which is also called “maintenance” or “spousal support,” can come in several different forms and is handed down by a judge who determines the level of necessity of the dependent spouse. Permanent, compensatory, and rehabilitative maintenance fall under this banner, and all three have certain applications given the circumstances. However, the spouse seeking maintenance falls under a burden of proof to fulfill certain requirements when seeking alimony and is rarely a certainty without proving necessity according to several factors. Rather than attempting this dispute resolution alone, finding an experienced family law and alimony lawyer will be crucial to ensure a proper allocation and allowance of alimony.
Paternity Laws
When it comes to paternity, a couple may be in dispute of a father’s requirements and duties if the child was born out of wedlock. Father’s rights lawyers seek to ensure that not only has a man established paternity of any child in question, but also receives fair treatment in court. A man is required to establish paternity if he seeks legal rights to a child, such as child custody, alimony, or parenting time in general. In an inverse case, if a woman seeks maintenance or there is a question of parentage, a DNA test ordered by the court can sort the issue out, which will lead to resolutions surrounding the issues of finances and child custody. It is important, however, that there is nothing forced on a man who may or may not be the father and that he is given proper treatment throughout the duration of a paternity case.
