While divorce is a primary family law concern, family law is a broad area of the law that encompasses all the legal matters that affect families. When it comes to your family, the matter is too important not to have an experienced family attorney in Chesapeake on your side.Â
While family law covers a lot of ground, some of the legal matters that are most common to this branch of the law include:
Divorce is not only the end of a relationship but is also the dissolution of a legal contract, which makes it a complicated matter. The terms of your divorce can directly affect your parental and financial rights and should be afforded the careful legal attention they warrant. Divorce terms include all the following (as applicable):
Family law can address each of these within the context of divorce or can address them separately outside of divorce, such as when modifications are necessary or when a child’s parents were never married.Â
When it addresses child-related matters, the court is always motivated by the best interests of the children involved. Child custody breaks down into legal custody (who will be making the primary parenting decisions on behalf of your children) and physical custody (how you and your children’s other parent will be dividing your parenting time).Â
Child support is calculated according to the state’s guidelines, and the factors that carry the most weight include the amount of time each of you is with the children and your separate incomes. An important point to keep in mind is that, even if you split your parenting time evenly, the higher earner will likely pay child support (in an effort to balance your children’s financial support between you and in support of your children’s best interests).Â
The court recognizes that children’s needs evolve as they grow and develop and that parents’ situations (and incomes) can change, and this is why the law allows both child custody and child support modifications (when deemed appropriate).Â
Bringing a new child into your lives via adoption is as rewarding as it can be legally challenging, and having a dedicated family attorney in your corner is the way to go.Â
When parents are married, the law presumes that the husband is the father. If the parents are not married, however, paternity is more complicated to establish. Because determining paternity generally benefits the child and his or her parents, it is often in the best interests of everyone involved.Â
If you are faced with a family law concern, the accomplished Chesapeake family attorneys at Mahoney Richmond Thurston, PLLC, dedicate their impressive practice to helping clients like you favorably resolve these family law issues as effectively and efficiently as possible. Your case is important, so please don’t hesitate to contact us today.Â