Issues related to family law are important issues, and the outcome of your case will likely reverberate into you and your children’s future. If you are facing a family law concern, working closely with an experienced family attorney in Schaumburg is an excellent place to start.
Family law covers a wide range of legal concerns that affect families, but some of the most common cases involve the following:
Divorce is a very common family law concern, and each of the terms of divorce has the potential to become legally complicated. Before you turn to the court for its intervention on the matter at hand, you and your divorcing spouse (or ex if the matter relates to a post-decree modification) will attempt to hammer out mutually acceptable terms between yourselves – with the skilled legal guidance of your respective family attorneys. You also have alternative dispute resolution (ADR) options that include mediation.
As your lives evolve post-divorce, the divorce terms that were once appropriate may become less so, and the law addresses this issue with post-decree modifications, which are complicated legal matters in their own right. Ultimately, any terms that you are unable to resolve between yourselves will need to be addressed by the court.
Prenuptial agreements are legal contracts that hammer out specific terms that apply in the event a marriage does end in divorce. A prenuptial agreement can designate the separate quality of an asset, such as a business (for example), can outline the division of marital property, or can address the issue of alimony.
What a prenuptial agreement cannot do, however, is guide child custody matters, which are always determined by the best interests of the children at the time. Child support is similarly off limits (unless the terms exceed the state’s requirements). Postnuptial agreements are similar to prenuptial agreements, but they are implemented after the couple is married.
A guardian ad litem (GAL) is typically a court-appointed attorney who is there to represent the best interests of the child whom he or she is appointed to. GALs are often called child representatives, and judges tend to respect their authority in relation to the best interests of the children they represent. The GAL in your case doesn’t work for either side but, instead, is there solely to represent your child’s best interests (in relation to the circumstances involved). While GALs are generally attorneys with considerable family law experience, they do not work in that capacity when they fill the GAL role.
If you are faced with a family law concern, the practiced family attorneys at SLG Family Law in Schaumburg are well positioned and well prepared to help you favorably resolve the matter as effectively and efficiently as possible. To learn more, please don’t wait to contact us today.
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