Family law is divided into several branches of law that deals with a complex list of legal issues concerning marriage, division of property, inheritance and children. Commonly, family laws are created for a clean divorce, child custody without problems, visitation rights, child support and alimony. With family law, it can be settled where people will live, who pays for what and who the children stay with. There are extreme cases where family law also assigns foster homes.
Family law is complex, so before comprehending what family lawyers do, it is important to look at when and why they might be needed. Some of the main reasons a family lawyer is brought in to help include:
Divorce and Annulment
Both a divorce and an annulment mark an end of a marriage. These can be nasty if you do not have proper legal guidance, but if both separating partners take out the time to talk to experienced lawyers, they can walk away with little to no problems or resentment.
A divorce and an annulment are different things. Divorce dissolves a marriage between two people and an annulment makes it as though the marriage never happened. Both have their own repercussions and have to be dealt with in a timely legal manner.
Child Support
Divorce can take a very complicated turn if it involves children. Once the matter itself is finalized, it is important for the family court to think about the future of the children involved. Generally, there is child support paid by a parent who gains primary custody of the children. Child support is for the benefit of the children and includes the following:
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Residence
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Food
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Education
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Medical and Health care
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Clothing and other expenses of the time.
Once these have been dealt with properly, the children can benefit from the care of both parents.
Spousal Support
Another word for alimony is spousal support. This is the money one spouse pays to the other recognizing their contribution to the marriage. It is important, that after a divorce, the spouse making more money pays their ex until they are financially secure.
Family Mediation
Family mediation is a common issue and does not always have to be brought to court; a good family lawyer is enough to resolve matters amicably. When a lawyer is called in to fix any disputes that arise within a family, it is called Family Mediation. A family lawyer is asked to come and help solve issues that members of the family cannot resolve without legal supervision and support. It helps in ending conflicts and in reaching an agreement in contention. However, it is important to note that the process is informal, therefore cannot stand in court.
The process of going to court is hectic and complex. It can become frustrating and complicated if you try to handle it on your own, so hiring a lawyer is your best chance. With the help of a trained lawyer, you can be guided through all your paperwork and complex legal matters without a problem.
Kirsty Greer is the author of this article. She has aided many families through trying times. She refers to this website to validate her examples.