Family law attorneys address matters related to divorce proceedings, child care, and other family court issues. Laterra & Hodge is a full-service family law firm. Here is more information about how a family lawyer handles different types of family court matters:
Family Law Litigation and Mediation
A family lawyer is able to assist you throughout the litigation process and represent you in court when necessary. This includes pre-judgment divorce and post-judgment divorce processes to address child support and other issues. Attorneys offer advice on legal proceedings and help guide clients to the best approaches by reviewing likely outcomes. They can help you prepare for your appearance in court, and they assist you with rehearsing your testimony and reviewing available evidence. Our law firm handles both appellate and trial court matters.
Family firms provide mediation services for divorce matters, with mediators certified as matrimonial law attorneys. Mediation offers an alternative to court by helping the parties reach a settlement. If the parties proceed with court appearances, the court process promotes settlement through custody mediation, early settlement panels, and required economic mediation. Mediation is confidential, and offers cannot be used against parties in a court setting.
Alimony and Child Support
Family attorneys also help with alimony decisions; alimony is monetary support provided to a spouse during divorce proceedings. It is established on a case-by-case basis rather than an automatic award. A family law attorney is able to help establish alimony and adjust strategies to local financial conditions and current legal standards. Alimony attorneys review your circumstances and help you prepare the required documents.
In the case of unexpected life changes, an alimony order may need to be modified. An attorney explains the alimony modification request process and assists you with putting together the documents that demonstrate a change in circumstances, such as job status or health changes. If you are not receiving your alimony, we support enforcement rules to help you receive your payments.
After a divorce or separation, both parents help provide for a child’s needs through child support payments. Attorneys assist you through the process with child support services, such as child support calculations, dispute resolution, and child support modification. They review state child support laws with you; some states have guidelines that cover a range of expenses, including food, housing, and clothing. An attorney is also able to provide guidance for issues such as college contributions.
Child Custody and Emancipation
Attorneys assist in custody battles, defending the rights of the child and educating you on legal custody requirements. Legal custody refers to the authority to make decisions regarding a child’s health, education, and welfare and is categorized as either sole or joint custody. One of our family attorneys is able to support you by helping you put together evidence for your case for sole or joint custody. Family lawyers also help you navigate matters relating to emancipation. In emancipation, a child is no longer under the guardianship of a parent, and the parents are no longer required to provide financial support. An attorney will review the issues relating to emancipation and explain what this means for child support cases.
Hire a Family Lawyer
Family attorneys are familiar with laws relating to child support and custody, and they are able to help with different matters related to divorce. Our firm also assists with domestic violence cases, visitation rights, dissolution of civil unions, father’s rights, equitable distribution, and cohabitation agreements. Divorce counseling and consultation services are also available. Laterra & Hodge offers free quotes for family law services. To begin the process of hiring a family lawyer, we invite you to complete our online form today.
