Undergoing a divorce is going to be challenging, even under the most ideal and cooperative circumstances. When kids are involved, it complicates the matter even more so. Of course, most parents want to be part of their child’s life. This is why fighting for child custody is so important, as there are things you can do prior to and during the court case to get the best chances possible of an outcome you hope for. The one thing to keep in mind is that the judge’s focus will be on what is for the best interest of the child. If you are preparing for a child custody case, consider these tips:

Show you are engaged and responsible.

You can’t change behaviors or choices from the past, but you can begin anew and position yourself as an engaged and dutiful parent. In an ideal situation, you will have done this long before the child custody case, as that shows you truly are genuine about changing unhelpful personality patterns. 

It’s understandable that you may be struggling with emotions such as anxiety, fear, shock, and betrayal, as the other parent may be more or less collaborative with you on establishing child custody. Parents are allowed to write child custody terms themselves, but it will have to be officially approved by the court. 

Create a peaceful and suitable home

The judge handling your child custody case needs to see that the living arrangements you can offer your children are suitable. This should be a peaceful, safe, and supportive environment. Your ex may be working hard to show the exact opposite, especially if they are hoping for full custody. While this can easily make someone angry and want to act out, it’s best to remain calm and recruit help from a lawyer to get you prepared.

Demonstrate good character.

When going to trial for custody of your kids, there may be the opportunity to call up witnesses who can attest to your character. Is there anyone in your life that is reliable, and who has seen you engage positively with your children? If so, then ask if they are willing to advocate for your behalf during the court hearing. A written testimony from them may be helpful if they are unable to attend in person. 

For more tips on how to get the best chances of a favorable verdict in your child custody case, contact a Family Lawyer right away, such as a dedicated professional from The Law Group of Iowa.

Family Law Lawyer

When you haven’t seen your child in years and want to renew the parent-child relationship, there are some factors to keep in mind.  Whether or not you can gain visitation rights may depend on the reasons why you’ve been absent from your child’s life for such a long time. 

In general, courts strongly prefer that a child maintain a loving relationship with both parents after a divorce, and will do everything possible to make this happen. They must also, however, always put the child’s best interests above everything else when determining custody and visitation. Consequently, you should hire an experienced local child custody lawyer such as consulting expert legal advice from our friends at Farkas & Crowley, P.A. Doing so can help you make the best case possible to the judge as to why you should be given visitation privileges, even though you have not exercised them in the past.

Another factor to keep in mind is that while visitation privileges technically aren’t tied to child support payments, you will probably stand a much better chance of a judge granting you visitation if you’re up to date on your child support.

Likely Visitation Considerations

Given the length of time you’ve been absent from your child’s life, the court undoubtedly will want to know the reasons and causes for your absence. Some questions they may ask include:

• Have you been living out of the country?
• Have you been incarcerated?
• Have you been hospitalized or undergoing treatment for a physical or mental condition?
• Have you eliminated any drug or alcohol addictions you may have had in the past?
• Have you upgraded your living conditions so that they’re now suitable for having your child in your home?
• Has your former spouse prevented you from seeing your child in the past?

Supervised Visitation

If the court determines that it’s in the best interests of your child to reestablish visitation, it might require that the visitation be supervised at first. This can especially be the case if you have been incarcerated or under the care of a physician or other health care professional. Supervised visitation means that you’re required to visit your child in the presence of a qualified adult, such as a child psychologist or social worker as well as in a location of his or her choosing. These visits are meant to ensure that you can reestablish your parental relationship with your child without putting him or her in any physical or emotional danger or stress. 

Obtaining Legal Help

As with any issue pertaining to your child, your best strategy when seeking to reestablish a relationship with your child after a long absence is to hire an experienced local child custody lawyer to represent you. He or she can guide you through whatever legal process best suits your particular situation. We recommended our partners at Farkas & Crowley, P.A where they have plenty of family and child custody lawyers that can help. Contact an experienced family law lawyer today!

When married parents share responsibility for a child, they have equal rights and responsibilities for making decisions for the child. The concept of parental rights and responsibilities changes when parents get divorced, as they will typically no longer live in the same residence. Where the child will live and who will make decisions concerning the child’s care are called into question, and these questions are usually resolved through the legal processes of custody. 

If you are looking to find out how to get custody rights for your children, then hiring a divorce lawyer Modesto, CA like Attorney Bernie is the best way. Divorce is never easy but with the help of an experienced family law attorney, it can be manageable.

Because courts generally agree that a child is best served through an ongoing relationship with both parents, custody is usually shared in some way between two parents after a divorce. There are two types of custody— legal custody and physical custody. Both types of custody can be sole or joint, and parents will need to agree how both arrangements will work after the divorce.

Legal Custody

Legal custody is the right to make decisions about how the child is raised, such as their education, medical care, and religious upbringing. Sole legal custody is rare, and typically is only seen if a court determines that one parent is unfit to be involved due to factors like mental impairment or substance abuse. Joint legal custody means that the parents must share in decision-making. Both parents will have rights to the child’s educational and medical records.

It is important to hire a divorce lawyer in Modesto, CA like Attorney Bernie for custody rights when you are in the middle of divorce proceedings. Divorce can be very complicated and expensive, especially if it involves fighting over which parent will get custody of their children. It’s best to consult with an experienced family law attorney who can help you make sure that your needs are met during this difficult time.

Physical Custody

Physical custody means the right and obligation to care for the child on a daily and ongoing basis, and determines which parent the child will live with. In a divorce, sole physical custody means that the child resides only with one parent. Joint physical custody means that the child lives with both parents according to a schedule that either the parents agree on or that the courts decide.

In many states, courts are moving from awarding sole physical custody to systems where one parent will be the primary physical custodian and the other parent will be the secondary legal custodian. Evenly split 50-50 custody is less common, as courts generally favor the concept that a child should have one place they are able to call home. 

Parenting Time

When one parent is awarded sole physical custody, the other parent is often granted visitation according to a parenting agreement or schedule. It is important to remember that even when one parent is awarded sole physical custody, legal custody is usually shared, and both parents will play a role in making joint decisions in the best interest of the child. 

Legal Considerations

Obviously, the process of determining custody agreements can be very complex, especially when emotions are frayed from a tricky divorce. Parents should consult an experienced divorce lawyer in Modesto, CA like Attorney Bernie to guide them through the legal process, especially if they cannot reach an agreement outside of court.

Divorce is a stressful ordeal, often made complicated by emotions and rising tensions. Even cordial separations can lead to difficult divorce proceedings, which is why it’s important for you to hire a divorce lawyer as soon as possible. As divorce lawyers from a firm like the Law Office of Daniel J. Wright can explain, getting all the information you need right away can mean the difference between a smooth transition and a rough one.

Seeking Out Advice

If you’re even just thinking about dissolving your marriage, consulting a divorce lawyer will be beneficial. Every legal union has a different set of circumstances surrounding it, so what works for one couple may not work for you. 

A divorce lawyer will give you a personalized and preliminary sketch of how you could proceed based on your situation. Your assets, prenuptial agreements, and family organization will all come into play during this conversation. Getting a consultation doesn’t mean you have to officially file for divorce. A lawyer will simply lay out your options for you so that you can make a more informed decision. 

Prepping for the Divorce

If you decide to move forward with your divorce, consulting a lawyer prior to making any informal agreements such as unofficial custody plans or separation of belongings is not only helpful but could protect you from future legal issues. Depending on the nature of your relationship with your spouse, any mistake you make can be costly.

Divorce isn’t as simple as filing for legal separation. The separation of assets and debts and the inevitable custody discussion can be a long process, and during the time it takes for you and your spouse to reach an agreement, mistakes can be made that can hinder the proceedings. Your lawyer will also advise you on what documentation you need to have prepared, including financial statements, prenups, and evidence of ownership of assets or belongings.

Being in Control

Being the first between you and your spouse to land a lawyer gives you the upper hand. Information is power, and you don’t want to be the spouse that is floundering. Having all the information and documentation on hand right as you’re moving forward with the divorce will make the proceedings much easier to deal with. You won’t have to battle the stress of the unknown. You’ll be prepared and know what to expect.

If you’re debating whether or not you should divorce your spouse, don’t hesitate to find the right divorce lawyer. Discuss all your options, and start making a plan for the future.

High Net Worth Divorce Lawyer

Regardless of the circumstances divorce can create a really expensive toll on each parties emotions and their finances, this is especially true when a high networked divorce. When a divorcing couple has a large amount of property, income and assets the stakes are going to be higher. Because high net worth divorces have a higher amount of assets, they are naturally complicated. Dividing a property and a high net worth divorce requires a carefully crafted strategy, and without a plan in place costly mistakes are more likely to occur, and to protect your rights in property in a high net worth divorce you need to keep the following in mind as you work with a high net worth divorce lawyer, such as the ones available at Robinson & Hadeed Family Law.

You should not make emotionally charged decisions. Emotions are running high during a divorce, and it is very common to make rash decisions without considering the long-term implications. In the event of an emotionally driven decision you could end up agreeing to give more property than you deserve to give up, or you might accept a deal that gives you way less then you deserve. While you might think your chores will make your life easier at the moment it might lead to a more time-consuming and emotionally draining fight in the future.

High net worth can quickly become heated, and that is why it is important that you do not attempt to lash out at your ask or punish them for whatever happened to your marriage. Instead you should think about how you would react if this were a professional setting, how do you handle business matters? You handle business matters by being calm, informed and having a plan. Working alongside your high net worth divorce lawyer in Pierce County, WA, your divorce lawyer will be able to help you ensure that your feelings are being put to the side. Your lawyer is going to be able to make strategic and knowledgeable decisions that will protect your best interest.

In any divorce assets must be characterized in the separate or community property, and they must be correctly identified. Only community property may be divided in the divorce, and for high asset couples this process is slightly more complicated.

As a business owner you might have the business prior to the marriage, and therefore your business is separate from your community property. However during the course of that marriage, community property might’ve been used to increase the value of the business. Therefore the business has now been commingled with community property and is likely to be subject to division in the divorce.

Therefore it can be difficult to know if an asset will be considered community or separate property, which makes it very important for you to have an expert on hand such as your high net worth divorce lawyer in Pierce County, WA because they are going to have the expertise that you need.

Divorce is one of the most challenging experiences a person may undergo in their lifetime. If your spouse recently filed for divorce, you may be desperate to find a way to make your marriage work, and you may wonder if there is a way to stop the divorce from happening. You cannot force your spouse to divorce you, but if your spouse wants a divorce, you eventually have to accept it and let it happen. However, as a divorce lawyer from a firm like the Winfrey Law Firm can explain, there may be ways for you to save your marriage and stop divorce before it becomes finalized.

Consider Marriage Counseling

If you think your marriage can be saved, try to attend counseling with your spouse. When a marriage deteriorates, it is typically for several different reasons. In marriage counseling, the two of you can dissect the problems in your marriage to determine whether you can make appropriate changes to make the marriage work.

If your spouse is open to marriage counseling, keep in mind that there may be many changes that both of you have to make. Keep an open mind about his or her frustrations with the marriage and what he or she hopes to have in a relationship. Both of you need to have your voices heard to come up with solutions to your problem.

Stop the Divorce Process

If you go through counseling and decide to make the marriage work, you can start the process to stop the divorce. If the divorce is still in its early stages, it may be easy to stop. For example, if you have not been served with divorce papers or if your spouse recently filed the petition, the only thing he or she has to do is not follow up on the procedure. If you have been served, the two of you can refuse to move forward and the court will dismiss the case.

However, if your divorce process is further along, your spouse needs to obtain the proper forms to request to withdraw the case. If your spouse dismisses the divorce, he or she must serve you with the paperwork.

If you are worried about a divorce, you may want to speak to a divorce lawyer as soon as possible. He or she may have advice on how to handle the divorce and whether you should attempt to make the marriage work. If you cannot work it out, the lawyer will help you through the divorce proceedings. Consult with a divorce lawyer as soon as possible if you are facing divorce.

Divorce Lawyer

Divorce & The Payments Involved

Divorce is hard on everyone. The couple often has limited resources, and finances play a large role in the divorce rate today. If this is a situation you’re in, you might start to worry about what it’s going to cost to obtain a divorce.

Lawyer Fees

Hiring a lawyer often ensures you are able to achieve the fairest outcome through your divorce. Though you know this is what you want to do, you are probably worried about the cost of hiring a lawyer. On average, individuals pay around $270 per hour for a divorce, though there are outliers on either end. A wife might pay $100 per hour for her lawyer, and her husband might pay $400 for his. It just depends on the lawyer, his or her experience, and what is most important to you when it comes time to select a divorce lawyer.

Taking an average of $270 into consideration, if a divorce lasts around 50 hours to settle, you can plan to pay your lawyer around $13,500. This will depend on several factors but is a good starting point for someone hoping to save up or secure financing in some way.

Other Costs

There are several individuals and professionals who will play a role in your divorce, and there are several processes that will play out. It will be your responsibility to pay for these professionals and processes. Some other costs you can expect to pay include real estate appraisers, child custody evaluators, tax advisors and other similar expenses. These costs could range anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000.

How To Keep the Costs Down

If you are looking for a way to keep costs down during a divorce, there are a few things you can do. For example:

• Adjust your budget – You might not be able to adjust any lawyer or legal fees, but you can adjust your grocery budget or avoid buying new clothes for the time being.

• Don’t contest the divorce – Uncontested divorce often costs thousands of dollars less than when one spouse contests the divorce.

• Try mediation – Mediation is a process in which you try to work out your differences so you can settle the divorce without legal intervention, and it often costs a significant amount less than the full legal process.

Contact an Attorney Today

Everyone is facing a different situation when going through a divorce. If you’re worried about the cost, it’s often most beneficial to turn to a professional directly. Contact a New Jersey divorce lawyer at Lesnevich, Marzano-Lesnevich, O’Cathain & O’Cathain, LLC today to get answers to your questions.