Family law is one of those terms which is both descriptive and nebulous. So, what is family law? Actually, the answer is complicated and straightforward at the same time. There are numerous different areas that fall under the heading of family law. Lawyers can specialize in a number of these areas. In a nutshell, family law is the part of legal practice that covers domestic relations. These range between marriage and divorce, to concerns of adoption and surrogacy, and also to issues such as common law marriages and same-sex marriage. As anywhere else, you will need a lawyer who has a substantial amount of knowledge within your unique area of need. The most common aspect of family law is related to the issues of marriage and divorce. Regardless if you are getting married, or dissolving a marriage, a lawyer who makes a specialty of family law could help you. If you are getting a divorce then you should definitely look for a skilled divorce lawyer. Divorce cases are complicated, specially when children are involved, and a good divorce lawyer will help you make sense of the myriad of laws and regulations that apply to your situation. Yet another aspect of family law relates to the issues of adoption and surrogacy. There’s a substantial amount of logistical paperwork that relates to adopting a child, and a seasoned lawyer can help you work through this process as expediently as possible. When it comes to surrogacy arrangements, a seasoned lawyer is even more crucial. Simply because surrogacy is such an emotional issue, an attorney is often needed to help draft the paperwork and produce an agreement that both parties can accept.
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Aug 13 2010
Child custody laws in our system are coded under the laws governing family relationships. This area of the civil law is known as Family Law. Child custody statutes are usually found under the laws specifically related to the Divorce procedure. However, child custody laws are also applicable to separation cases where the dissolution of the marriage is not the final objective. Like most civil laws, child custody laws are to be considered within their relationship to other laws. The capacity of a child to make decisions related to his or her care is directly associated with their capacity or lack thereof, to make decisions regarding marriage, suing or entering in a contractual relationship. The reasoning behind this is that to enter in a contract agreement the person must be fully aware of the kind of responsibilities and duties he or she is engaging in. Therefore, for a contract to be valid and binding, the parties must have the maturity and the awareness to fully understand the consequences of what they are signing. This is known as the person’s legal capacity. The requirement of legal capacity is also applicable to making decisions regarding getting married or filing a law suit. The capacity to fully understand is the fundamental factor when examining a person’s ability to agree. It is assumed that a person cannot agree upon anything she or he does not fully understand. This is called: consent. Consent is a fundamental element in any bilateral relationship. We must consent when getting married and we must consent when signing an application or a contract.
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Aug 10 2010
When you are a victim of abuse from a close family member, it can be incredibly difficult to escape this dangerous situation. If you are an immigrant who is subject to abuse from a U.S. citizen or permanent resident family member, this situation can seem impossible to leave. However, the U.S. government recognizes this terrible situation and allows battered family members to apply for special immigration visas.
If you are an immigrant who is under a U.S. citizen or permanent resident’s blanket of protection, it can be difficult to get the help you need if this person becomes abusive. Thankfully, under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) the U.S. government allows for battered spouses, parents, and children to apply for an immigration visa without the knowledge or consent of their supposed protector. This way, the abused family members can successfully escape their abusers. The VAWA applies equally to both men and women who suffer abuse. Battered spouses are allowed to petition for immigration for themselves as well as for their children. To qualify, you must be receiving abuse in the United States, or at the hands of a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who was abroad in the service of the U.S. government. Additionally, your marriage must be in good faith, and you must reside with your spouse. You must prove good moral character as well. You are also able to apply for an immigration visa if your children are being abused but you are not directly harmed.
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Aug 06 2010
What is a family law attorney and why are they necessary? It is even more crucial you are familiar with these experts of family law since it seems strong families are becoming less and less in our modern day. Here is a fact that is unfortunate but all to often becomes reality in 2010. When a mother and father gets a divorce and the family is divided the costs go way up. When all home expenses are shared by the man and woman the burden of making a living is also shared. After a divorce everyone’s standard of living is lowered due to the fact that two separate households, versus one, has to be maintained. The state courts are then given the duty, unfortunately, of dividing the resources that used to support one family unit into two parts. Its usually impossible to do this equally because many things the couple owned together cannot be simply cut in half. For instance a home cannot be sawed in half thus enabling each former spouse to get a half of it. This especially is true when there are children involved. The needs and expenses of the children involved changes from each passing year. The costs involved in raising elementary aged kids are much lower than the costs in raising teenagers. In addition to that problem the circumstances of the adults involved changes. The income of the person ordered to pay child support or alimony, be it the father or mother, can drastically go up or down as time goes on. And we have not even touched the issue of child custody including outlining visitation rights. With the divorce rate as high as it is in 2010 it does not take a genius to wonder why family law courts are always packed and system is overloaded. It is impossible to navigate all the courts, red tape, and legal documents with the help of an expert who deals with those things for a living.
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Jul 16 2010
In the event of a divorce between two parents, the welfare of the children is a predominant concern for the court. One of the issues that must be decided in these situations is the custody of the children, or who they will live with. The other issue is child support; the financial support that is required to raise and care for these children. When matters like child support are being decided, it helps to have an experience family law attorney at work on the case. Decisions of child support often follow a complex formula that will take into consideration the parent that the child lives with and the parent with the highest income level. If that person is self-employed, determining income and child support amounts can be even more complicated. A competent lawyer can help parents wade through the complex formulas and guidelines to come to a child support amount that everyone can agree on. When agreements don’t happen easily, A family law attorney will work for the interests of the children and custodial parent to ensure a fair amount of child support will be paid. By the same token, the non-custodial parent often needs a lawyer in his corner to ensure that the payment required is fair and affordable. If circumstances in that parent’s life change and child support payments cannot be made, that same lawyer can file for a modification to the agreement to take this change into consideration.
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Jul 16 2010