The Help of a Family Lawyer

Situations that necessitate the counsel and intervention of a family lawyer are stressful for the entire family. Parents are often going through a divorce or fighting over custody issues involving children who are the helpless victims of their parents' selfish decisions. Children also need the advice and encouragement brought by a law professional who specializes in meeting the needs of these types of dysfunctional family situations.

When dealing with the heartbreaking and life-changing situation of divorce, there are many items and potential issues to consider. Who will obtain sole responsibility for the children? How often will they visit the other parent? How are the children to be supported? Perhaps a mother has given up a potential career in order to stay at home and care for the little ones. How will she be supported as she begins to find her feet in a new workplace? And what about all the resources that have been pooled together throughout the many years of marriage? A family lawyer will research your situation and provide a detailed list of issues to consider which are tailored to your specific divorce situation.

Custody issues often accompany divorce proceedings. During the divorce certain decisions are made regarding the custody of the children. For instance, the parents must decide which of them has legal custody:

- Which parent makes the decisions about the children's schooling, medical care, religion, discipline and other legal decisions?

- Who will have physical custody?

- Which parent will be responsible for the child's daily schedule?

In many cases, custody decisions are changed for a variety of reasons after the divorce has been finalized, sometimes years after the divorce is complete.

Another situation this type of attorney often deals with is spousal or child abuse. Abuse includes a wide variety of hurtful acts, which are purposefully done to cause either physical or emotional pain to another. For example, an abuser using intimidation is causing the victim to feel that he or she has no other choice than to do what the abuser requires. Otherwise, the victim thinks he or she will be hurt. Another clear example of abuse is the threat of physical harm. Even if the abuser never follows through on such threats, the threats themselves are considered abuse. Emotional abuse targets the victim's self-esteem. The victim is made to feel useless or depressed because of the abusers claims that he or she isn't worth anything. The abuser will often make the victim feel that he or she is to blame for the wrong treatment. If you live with the fear of threats, whether they involve blows to your self-esteem or physical harm to your body, you should contact a family lawyer immediately.

To end on a positive note, a family lawyer is also involved in the happy process of adoption, wherein a child is accepted into a new family. Whether the parents decide to adopt children who have been orphaned here in the United States or orphans from other countries, an experienced attorney will walk the family through each step of the process.

No matter which situation you're facing, the help of an attorney is much needed!