Going through a divorce is hard, and when there are children involved, deciding who will have custody of them can be difficult. The rights of both parents and the children need to be considered, and sometimes the only way to make sure that happens is to have an attorney get involved.
Hiring a Lawyer
When a couple decides to divorce, there are often things that need to be worked out legally, so hiring an attorney is almost always going to be part of the process. The attorney is a good resource to help file all the proper paperwork, moderate arguments between the parties, and help determine the custody of children.
Often, both parties will have lawyers to help them get what they feel is right, but a good lawyer will work with the lawyer for the opposing party to settle things quickly and easily. While it can happen, fighting with the other party involved in the divorce is not productive, and the lawyers should try and avoid that.
Custody and Visitation
When one parent has custody of the children, it is important that the other parent is given visitation so that they can stay involved in the children's lives. Sometimes the only way to ensure that happens is to have a lawyer draw up an agreement that spells out the details of the custody and visitation and each parents role in it. The custody agreement becomes part of the divorce decree, and once the judge signs off on it, it is legally binding and the parents must follow it.
Child Support
Your lawyer will most likely talk to you about child support and how it should work. If you are the custodial parent, you will be the one receiving the support, and if you are the non-custodial parent, you will have to pay some supporting amount to the other parent to help pay for things the children need.
The goal of the attorney is not to try and get an unfair amount of money from one parent or the other, but there are some states that have very specific guidelines that the attorney has to follow when they set up the support amount in the divorce agreement. If you do not agree with the amount of money that is set in the agreement, the attorney can ask the judge to review the amount and set an amount that is more appropriate. In most situations, the lawyers know what the court will accept.
For more information, contact an attorney from a firm like the Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC.
You love your family. You want your kids to have what is best, and you are willing to fight for them to the very end. Thankfully, there are professionals out there who are able to support you and do the same. They're called family lawyers. Although they typically handle a lot of divorce cases, you can call upon them for other family-related legal needs, too. They oversee adoptions, draft custody agreements, and so much more. We hope you will read the articles on this blog, which delve deeper into these topics. You'll emerge knowing more about hiring such an attorney.