A family attorney usually deals with divorce, separation, adoption, child custody and matters concerning child support. A family attorney in Mt. Sinai NY may also be hired by the parents of a child who has been involved in a delinquency issue that has been brought in front of a court judge.
When the issue is divorce there are a number of things that the lawyer does on behalf of his or her client. A divorce is something that will change a person’s life for a long time to come; if the desire for a divorce is not mutual a family attorney will often attempt to explore the possibility of marital mediation and reconciliation between the parties. There are a number of jurisdictions in the US that demand a cooling off period must be observed while other jurisdictions look to mediation as a way of determining the fair division of marital property, child custody, visitation rights and alimony which is now commonly called “spousal maintenance.” The mediation process takes place with the respective family attorneys of both parties present. The process will usually result in an agreement between the parties which can be passed to a judge for approval.
If mediation fails to arrive at an acceptable agreement, the parties will have to go into court and have their respective attorneys plead their cases. Once both parties have had their say, the judge will settle the issues that could not be agreed upon by decree; there are no jury’s in divorce cases. Sometimes the actual dissolution of the marriage by the judge is not the last time the client will see his or her family attorney in Mt. Sinai NY. Circumstances change and in many cases the parties seek modification to custodial orders and child support which reflect these changes. The judge who originally granted the divorce is usually the same one that is called upon to agree or disagree any modifications as in most jurisdictions this judge retains control over any post decree matters.
A divorce is only part of what a family attorney does. When a couple decides to adopt a child they will often seek the help of a family attorney in Mt. Sinai NY to assist them with finding an agency that places children for adoption. The attorney will help prepare the petition to adopt and gather any testimony that is needed to support the petition in family court.
A family attorney in Mt. Sinai NY is the legal professional you would turn to if you were to seek a divorce, need help with child support and visitation, adopt a child or set up a trust.
