Family Law – fields under this legal genre
By: Steve Johnson | Posted: 17th June 2010
What does family law cover? This is one of the basic concepts that you need to have. Many have the misconception that all that a family lawyer handles is a divorce proceeding. But this isn't the case. There are a number of aspects that these legal professionals have to deal with.
Let's discuss the core areas of responsibility of a family lawyer.
Divorce - Separation and legal dissolution of the marital contract is one of the various fields that these lawyers handle. The chief tasks for the lawyer in this domain are filing for the divorce, submitting all necessary documents at court, filing residency proof, presenting the grounds on which the divorce is being filed and so on.
Spousal Support - The ordering of spousal support varies from state to state as well as case to case. If you are the one demanding support, your lawyer would help you obtain a rightful amount. If you are the one who is supposed to provide the support, your lawyer would see to it that you get a fair treatment and are not burdened with a huge sum.
Child Custody - A family lawyer would help you understand the ‘best interests test' (the one that determines the custody and visitation regulations). And he/she would also help you understand the state laws in this regard and your rights and position in your case.
Child Support - This is one of the pertinent questions that crop up post divorce. If the spouse under whose care the child is placed is unable to provide the lifestyle and education the child is accustomed to, the other partner needs to provide it. Your lawyer ascertains that you are discriminated in no way in this regard.
Family Property Issues - A competent family lawyer knows how to handle property related issues. This may be regarding a will or probate, or it may be pertaining to property distribution post annulment of marriage.
After you are sure that your case is best handled by a good family lawyer of Dallas the next step is to find one. The first thing to consider is within which particular field the case falls. You need to find a lawyer who specializes in a similar field.
For example, suppose you want to initiate a probate process. A legal professional specializing in divorce litigation won't be suitable for your case; you need someone who is proficient in probate cases. This should be the basis on which you hire a lawyer.
Talk to a few of the family lawyers working in your area. Give them a thorough idea about the case. Ask anything that comes to mind. Discuss your rights and responsibilities and the position of the case at present. You also need to talk to him/her about the charges and how this would be calculated.
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Tags: misconception, proof, regard, lawyers, marriage, core areas, state laws, child custody, child support, probate, necessary documents, pertinent questions, legal professionals, dissolution, family lawyer