There are various realms in the law field, where the greatest legal minds shine to their assigned fights. However, the field of family law has one of the largest all-encompassing umbrellas, dealing with a variety of issues from birth to death. No matter your stage in life, there is a family law attorney who can guide you every step of the way through the legal process.
What is family law?
Family law cases usually involve parties who are related by blood or marriage and are oftentimes emotionally charged in nature. That’s why litigants are strongly advised to retain legal counsel. The vast majority of proceedings come about as a result of the termination of a marriage or romantic relationship. Family lawyers help their clients file for:
- Separation and divorce
- Alimony/spousal support
- Child custody
- Visitation
- Child support
Family law can also involve the health and wellbeing of elderly loved ones. If a loved one receives an Alzheimer diagnosis, families may try to put plans in place for their estate or their long-term care, assuring they are of sound mind prior to any loss of cognitive function or memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease, where clinicians can create a plan to help older adults combat cognitive decline through therapy and medication. Family law attorneys can offer legal advice to patients dealing with Alzheimer’s or dementia after early diagnosis to assure the patient and their caregivers are taken care of overtime.
Child Custody Cases
One of the more difficult matters of litigation in family law usually comes from divorce proceedings, and that is determining the custody of a child or children. According to a leading family lawyer in New Orleans, child custody disputes can be a challenging time for all parties involved and need to be approached with sensitivity and a wanting for what’s in the best interest of the child.
The litigation of a child custody dispute can be costly at trial and mentally taxing for all family members involved. Some family law firms opt to settle these matters through collaborative law or mediation, as these solutions are much more cooperative and less adversarial. This is especially easier if a divorce or separation is splitting up a family, with children forced to relocate to other ends of the United States.
Sometimes, child custody cases can develop into matters of immigration law, and some law firms are able to settle those matters as well. This attorney-client relationship is handled with sensitivity and an understanding that this legal matter is impacting the daily lives of all parties involved, beyond just the couple that is getting divorced.
Divorce Cases
Divorce lawyers are a major part of the family law field and can vary across the United States. It’s recommended that parties involved in this split consult with a family law attorney to protect their rights or the rights of their property and children during the legal process. The grounds for a divorce may be on no-fault or fault.
A no-fault divorce is one in which neither spouse officially blames the other for the breakdown of the marriage. This is usually associated with the term “irreconcilable differences” and can sometimes result in annulments of the marriage. A fault-based divorce can be blamed on things like adultery, domestic violence, desertion, or addiction.
Spouses are free to divide their property as they see fit through a marital settlement agreement unless prenuptial agreements are in place that is predeterminant of how much of an estate belongs to one party as opposed to the other. Other laws vary by state when it comes to a deviation of personal and physical property, but divorce lawyers will guide you through the process to have a greater understanding during this difficult process.
