5 Roles of Parramatta Family Lawyers You Should Know
Certain issues surrounding the family
structure are very personal in nature. Despite this, such concerns have their
own legal implications. This is why there is such thing as family law, because
matters involving the very basic unit of our society are governed by prevailing
federal and state laws. Obviously, this
legal area is practiced by Parramatta family lawyers who are capable of
providing expert advice and representation for clients. Like any other area of
the law, requiring an attorney’s expertise would depend on certain factors
specific to a client’s case. To shed light as to how family attorneys perform
in their family law practice, the following are the various family law issues that
these legal counsels are capable of handling:
1. They
deal with the starting point of every family—marriage. Generally, getting married would not
actually require the expertise of these legal advocates, but they are often
hired during prenuptial agreements. These documents establish the property and
financial rights of each spouse in the event they decide to file and eventually
divorce. Because of the assets involved here, it would be imperative for
parties involved to retain the services of family attorneys.
2. They
deal with divorce proceedings. This very emotional and stress event in a family’s life would usually
require the expertise of a family attorney. This applies for both contested and
uncontested divorce. When a divorce is contested, either one spouse does not
agree with the claim of the other, and the way to resolve it is for clients to
undergo scheduled trials and hearings. When a divorce is uncontested, both
spouses agree to dissolve the marriage, usually agreeing to out-of-court
settlements that basically resolves the issues of child custody, alimony
(spousal support), and distribution of assets.
3. They
deal with the issue of custodial rights for children of parents undergoing
divorce. This matter is
often a very emotionally difficult to deal with, but it is the family
attorneys’ job to determine to whom the divorcing couple’s children will live
once the marriage becomes legally dissolved. A deciding factor in arriving at
such a decision hinges on the best interests of the child or children, but that
is alone is dependent on how states define the “best interest” standard.
4. They
deal with the intricacies of the adoption process. Deciding to adopt a child is a
life-changing decision for individuals wanting to grow a family. However, there
are a lot of factors to consider in arriving at such a decision, and most of
them involve processes that are, in nature, based on prevailing laws on the
federal and state levels. It is therefore imperative for parents to hire family
attorneys to help them with the processes involving adoption.
5. They
deal with the legal issues surrounding criminal activities affecting the
family, most especially domestic violence incidents. Whether it is child abuse or mistreatment
of a spouse, those involved are not only capable of filing criminal charges
against perpetrators, but they can also file civil lawsuits. Family lawyers
help out victims in dealing with the legal consequences following such
incidents, such as child custody matters and even separation and divorce.
