When you have a family, your whole life tends to revolve around them. You want to make sure that they are safe, happy, and run into as few difficulties on a day to day basis as possible. But, even the most picture-perfect families may have issues from time to time. When this happens, your first support person is your spouse/partner. Then your extended family. Your friends. Parenting groups. Medical help. But a source of support that people tend to forget is legal support, particularly a family lawyer.
There are a number of specialist attorneys and lawyers out there who can, and will, help you along various paths to get the results you need in whatever situation you may be in. Here are a few areas where a family lawyer can help:
Adoption
Nowadays, more and more people are adopting children. For many families, the option to conceive isn’t possible, for others, the desire to raise an adopted child brings them so much joy and sense of purpose. You might want to adopt a child to guarantee them a loving family and a good quality of life. If you are a same-sex couple, you may choose to adopt to build a family of your own. If you are infertile, you may also go down the route of adoption to have your own child.
Adoption really is a great way to bring more love and affection into your home. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to adopt a child, it’s inevitable that you are going to have to go through a long and complex legal process. This is largely for the sake of the child’s well being, ensuring that you are a good fit and able to provide them with everything they need. A lawyer will help you through this process!
Divorce
Divorce isn’t a topic that many of us like to talk about. But it is a reality and there are some situations where couples will split for their own happiness and to prevent problems in front of the kids. There are countless reasons for divorce, but whatever the reason, it (again) involves a lengthy and complex legal process. The difficulty of the process can vary depending on how much you and your partner agree upon different issues. Either way, legal help will be required – even if all decisions are completely mutual. You will have to split assets, split childcare, and face other points that need to be laid out and approved. A good lawyer, like Eric Mercer, can make the process as seamless as possible.
Child Custody
Some couples will split custody of their children equally when they split. Some couples will have the kids with one parent during weekdays and the other on weekends. Then there are countless other agreements that may come up. If you and your partner are struggling to come to an agreement that both of you view as fair, a family lawyer can help you. A lawyer will have the kids’ best interests in mind and help a court see what will be best for your little ones.
Child Support
Child support can be another point of contention when couples split. A family lawyer will be able to take a neutral stance and determine what could constitute a fair contribution. They can also help to secure this contribution if your partner isn’t being compliant.
Although it may be difficult to think about attorneys or their roles in supporting your family, problems do happen, and being prepared is smart. The more you familiarize yourself with what a lawyer does and how he or she can help, the more aware of your rights and options you’ll be.
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