3 Reasons to Hire a Family Law Attorney

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Whenever you face a legal issue that involves a family relationship, you are working with the area of family law. Depending on your situation, there are numerous reasons why you might need legal assistance when navigating a conflict, negotiation, court proceeding, court petition or property agreement.

Before reaching out to an attorney in family law Pasco County FL, consider whether your scenario falls under one of the common reasons why individuals hire this type of legal representation. If it does, compile a list of questions that a lawyer can provide guidance on during your initial consultation. 

1. Child Custody and Child Support

Whenever parents go separate ways, the question of child custody is often a major issue. Because of the complexities that can arise, navigating child custody agreements is one of the top reasons why people contact family law firms. Additionally, child support is another piece of the custody equation that legal support can be helpful for handling. In the best-case scenario, parents will come to an agreement that allows fair custody, visitation and support for everyone.

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2. Divorce

Even without children, divorce is another top family law issue that millions of Americans contact attorneys about every year. Today, divorce rates have never been higher. That is not to say this is a good or a bad thing, but it does mean that an increasing number of individuals are seeking out legal help for divorce-related issues. This is especially true for couples who share significant assets and history. In general, divorce lawyers usually have extensive experience with dividing up marital property, so their guidance can be valuable. 

3. Paternity

If you are struggling to support your child on your own without the help of his or her other parent, seeking legal help may be necessary. In many paternity cases, mothers need to secure child support payments from an absent father. To do this, establishing paternity is usually necessary. When doing this becomes a challenge as it often can be during family conflicts, many individuals contact family law firms to help them handle this kind of problem, too. Usually, the court can determine paternity through DNA testing.

Although these three categories make up the majority of family law cases, attorneys at these firms can also help with a wide range of other family-related topics like adoptions, guardianships foster care issues and many other miscellaneous household legal concerns. If you have specific questions, make sure to bring them to your initial family law consultation.