Divorce is not a simple process. When a couple decides to get divorced, the court wants issues of marital property division, child custody, child support, and alimony support to be settled before granting a divorce. Your family law firm plays a very important role in resolving these issues with your partner.
A family law firm helps you throughout the divorce process right from initial consultation to legal guidance, negotiations, court trials, and paperwork, and provides you the support you deserve in an emotionally grueling period of your life.
Divorce issues are resolved mainly in two ways: Out-of-the-court alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or collaborative law (with the help of attorneys) and Court trials (judge makes the decision). Family law firms in Houston plays a vital role in resolving your disputes in a divorce case. Let’s have a look at the importance of family law firm in divorce cases.
Division of marital property and financial assets
Marital property and all the financial assets owned by the couple after marriage are liable for the division as per the state guidelines of the family law. Every state has their own guidelines and rule for the property division. Various factors, such as each spouse contribution to the marriage, need of each party and length of a marriage, are taken into account for property division. A family law attorney is skilled at dividing marital property and financial assets. Your family law firm helps you come up with a favorable property settlement agreement with your spouse.
Determining child custody plan and visitation plan
When kids are involved in the marriage, parents have to decide with whom kids will physically reside on a daily basis and who will be responsible for the decision making in kids’ lives. Physical custody means that parent has the right to have kids live with him. And, legal custody means that parent has the right to make a decision about kids’ schooling, religious upbringing, medical care, and other important aspects of life. In most cases, parents reach an agreement on child custody with the help of their attorneys, and the court usually respects the decision made by the parents. Only a few cases end up in a court trial. Your family law firm determines a workable child custody plan which is in the best interest of you and your child and helps you come up with an agreement with your spouse.
Setting up a child support
Child support is the periodic amount paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent for taking care of the basic needs of the kid. The purpose of child support is to ensure children have the same financial resources that they might have if both parents lived together. The amount of child support is determined by a formula and guidelines mentioned in the family law. Your family law firm calculates the amount of child support and ensures that you don’t have to overpay. Your family law attorney makes sure that court has right inputs for calculation of the child support.
Determining spousal support
Spousal support or alimony is the periodic payment made by one spouse to other for financial support after the divorce or during the divorce. Not in every case spouse is eligible for the spousal support. Court considers many factors for determining spousal support such as the length of a marriage, the age of each spouse, jointly-accumulated debt, misconduct of either party and the ability of each spouse to earn. After considering all the factors court makes a decision on spousal support. Your family law firm crosschecks the spousal support determined by the court for computational errors and ensures you do not bind to an unjustified amount.
Usually, these are the four issues need to be handled in divorce cases, and family law firms play a vital role in resolving these issues.
If you are facing divorce, it is in your best interest to hire family law firms in Houston.
