Family Lawyers in NYC

What Does Family Law Consist Of?

There are many different practice areas within the family law umbrella. Given the various types of family relationships, such as parents, grandparents, and children, there are certain laws and processes required for changes within a family.

Divorce

Divorces can be contested or uncontested. In an uncontested divorce, an attorney is generally not needed because both spouses agree on anything.

It’s simply a matter of drafting and signing any necessary paperwork. In most cases, however, the divorce will be considered contested. This means there is something, or a lot of things, the spouses can’t come to an agreement on.

This is where a divorce attorney can be invaluable, as they’ll help with negotiations to enable the spouses to come to an agreement or prepare for the case to go in front of a judge who can make these decisions.

Child Custody

When the parents are no longer together, it is important to have child custody in place. In the majority of cases, custody will be shared between both parents, though one parent may have final decision-making abilities.

Custody covers most child-related decisions that will need to be made, such as medical decisions, legal decisions, and educational decisions. In some cases, custody will be given to only one parent. If this is the case, that parent is able to make all decisions for the child.

Regardless of the case, a child custody lawyer can help with all types of custody issues.

Child Visitation

Visitation and custody often go together, but they’re not the same. Parents have the right, other than extenuating circumstances, to be able to spend time with their children.

Visitation can take on many forms, but the most common is 50/50 where each parent has equal time with the child. This can be one week on and one week off or split between the days of the week.

In other situations, one parent may have more time with the child and the other parent gets visitation less frequently.

Child Support

Child support is something that is done for the child, not for either parent. The amount of support is determined by how much money each parent makes and the amount of time they spend with the child.

If income and visitation are equal, child support may not be needed because both parents put in the same amount of money toward their child’s care.

If one parent has limited visitation or makes significantly more money than the other parent, support may be needed to provide the child with an equal quality of life at both homes.

In these types of cases, a child support lawyer can provide insight and make sure a fair plan is put in place.

Adoption

Families who are considering adopting a child need to go through dozens of steps, including interviews, background checks, and income verification to name a few. 

Given the complexity of the adoption process, families should hire an adoption attorney to ensure they have the best chance at the desired results.

Hiring an NYC Family Law Attorney

When it comes to family law, emotions often get in the way of coming to a solution.

Whether it’s deciding on who gets what assets in the divorce or determining how much child support is needed, having a New York family law attorney to help is invaluable.