Columbia Family Lawyer

Many aspects of life—both the exciting and the stressful—could require the services of a capable attorney with experience in family law. Legal professionals well-versed in family law can handle pre-marital agreements, adoptions, divorce, child custody, and other matters that impact the relationships between family members.

Family law could affect your most private matters, and a Columbia family lawyer will treat your case with the utmost discretion and confidentiality. If you have a familial issue that requires legal advice or assistance, call a local trusted attorney.

Handling All Forms of Marital Agreements

Marriage is not just a personal relationship; it is a legal relationship that imposes financial obligations on each spouse. Laws govern the financial side of a marital relationship, but couples could mutually decide that another arrangement suits them better. In such cases, a Columbia family attorney could help the couple devise a written agreement formalizing their wishes.

Pre-Marital Agreements

Couples who wish to have a say in the distribution of their property, should their marriage come to an end, could create a pre-nuptial agreement. Each party should work with a skilled lawyer to ensure the agreement protects their rights and that will be legally enforceable if necessary.

Marital Agreements

Married couples could create a marital agreement that addresses property division and other issues in the event the couple separates or divorces. Spouses often transfer interests in pension funds through martial agreements. Some marital agreements do not anticipate a breakup but formalize the parties’ understanding of their financial goals and intentions as a couple.

Separation Agreements

When a marriage is fractured and a couple decides to live apart, a separation agreement could govern how they handle their joint bills, who lives in the family home, spousal support, child custody, and similar issues. If the couple later divorces, the arrangements in the separation agreement could carry over into their divorce decree.

Tenacious Advocacy in Contested Divorces

In an ideal world, a divorcing couple could agree on issues regarding spousal support, property division, and child custody without a court’s intervention. However, effective communication between divorcing couples is often difficult to achieve.

Courts prefer that couples decide how to split time with their children or divide marital property because the couple knows what is best for them. When a couple does not communicate well enough to reach an agreement without assistance, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) could be productive.

If ADR is not an option or not available, a family attorney in Columbia could attempt to negotiate these issues with the other spouse’s attorney. These discussions frequently yield satisfactory agreements that could allow the couple to retain control over the proceedings instead of allowing a judge to make these life-altering decisions.

Issues Relating to Children and Child Custody

One of the most rewarding tasks of a family law practitioner is helping families grow through adoption. Columbia attorneys assist families with stepparent adoptions and private adoptions through public and private agencies.

In contrast, some of the most emotionally charged cases involve child custody disputes. Judges always put the best interest of the children first when making custody decisions, and the parent’s wishes are secondary. A capable legal representative will explain the factors courts use to decide child custody issues and help a parent present a compelling case.

Sadly, even after a divorce or legal separation is final, spouses sometimes do not honor their agreements. In other cases, a significant change in circumstances could require changing an agreement that previously worked well. Our firm can represent these parents seeking to modify or enforce court orders regarding visitation, child support, and child custody.

Work With a Compassionate Columbia Family Attorney

When going through a significant life event with legal implications, you need an empathetic legal advisor. A Columbia family lawyer will listen to you, explain your legal alternatives, and fight tenaciously to achieve your desired result. Trust a capable local attorney to handle your family law issues. Schedule a consultation today.