A family law attorney will protect your rights

As you probably already know, family law refers to an area of law pertaining to marriage, divorce, legal separation, child custody and support, spousal support (alimony), adoption, and other such issues. In a perfect world, you would never need a family law attorney because such issues simply would not arise. Unfortunately, this is not exactly a perfect world and we all know that a lot of things can happen between family members, some of which will require legal representation in order to settle the matter in question. 

Very often, these family law issues will involve money, property, and even more important things so it is extremely important to have proper legal representation to protect your rights and get you the best possible outcome depending on the circumstance and facts of the case. Family law attorneys are different from other attorneys in that they do not just deal with legal issues but become accustomed to the emotional aspect of family matters that have to go through the legal system.

Situations where couples should hire a family law attorney

Most couples do not seek help from a family law attorney before they get married, but it is a good idea to do so, especially if one of the two happens to have a substantial amount of money or business. You see, even though no couple likes to talk about divorce, it is a very real possibility since about half of all first marriages end in divorce. 


If there are substantial assets, debts, or businesses involved, the divorce process can get very complicated, emotional, and ugly. Consulting an experienced family law attorney before tying the knot will provide you with crucial information about prenuptial agreements and everything that you need to know about marital assets, community property (marital assets), and more. 

You better believe that a divorce with a prenuptial agreement is far easier than one without one. Of course, the division of assets and debts is not the only reason that a divorcing couple will need their own respective family law attorney since there will be other matters that have to be decided. 

There are quite a few minor issues that can suddenly appear during a divorce but, aside from financial matters, the most important and emotional has to do with custody if there happen to be children in the marriage and that will definitely require proper legal advice and counsel. A good family law attorney should be great at negotiating during a divorce because it is far better to come to amicable terms about what it is best for everyone involved (especially the children) than to have to battle it out in court and have a judge make those final decisions for everyone. A Jensen Family Law - Mesa can help


Other issues that require a family law attorney

You might think that once a divorce has been settled everything is said and done, and it usually is, but the circumstances might change for one or both parties, requiring the services of a family law attorney. Marriage and divorce issues might be the biggest reasons to hire a family law attorney, but they are not the only ones. Other issues that you might need a family law attorney for include:

Parenting time

How much parenting time each parent will enjoy with their children after divorce is a matter that both can resolve through mediation with their family law attorneys, but if that is not possible, a family court judge will decide the matter according to what is best for the children.

Spousal support

Spousal support is not always granted but a judge may decide to do so depending on the circumstances of each particular case. A family law attorney’s advice is recommendable for this, especially if the circumstance change after the divorce and one of the two parties want to petition the court for a modification.

Paternity

Paternity cases are most often initiated by a mother who wants to be granted child support for the child; but, sometimes, fathers need a family law attorney in order to establish paternity to have a relationship with the child. Bear in mind that the couple in question does not have to be married for a paternity case to be filed.


Estate planning

Estate planning is not exactly family law but it is related. Issues that relate to estate planning, wills, and taxation can and do often come up during a family law attorney’s duties.