Marriage carries with it numerous burdens and consequences that can substantially affect your property rights. Before getting married, you should have a firm grasp of what assets and debts you have, what assets and debts your future spouse has, and what you can expect your financial future to look like if the marriage fails for any reason.
Child Custody and Child and Spousal Support
The custody and visitation of children is among the most important considerations a divorcing parent can face. At or near the time of divorce, animosity runs higher than normal between parents. Studies have shown that such animosity can have a detrimental impact on children of divorce. It is therefore in both parents’ best interests to take co-parenting classes and to work together on a mutually agreeable custody and visitation arrangement.
Divorce, Legal Separation and Nullity
When a marriage fails, the first task is determining the proper procedure to preserve your legal rights. If your marriage was based on fraud or lasted less than 3 months, nullity of your marriage may be the best approach. If on the other hand, you both married in good faith, you must then decide on whether to proceed with a legal separation or a divorce, also referred to as the dissolution of your marriage.
Family Law Appeals
Judges do their best to follow the law, but they are human. When a judge makes a mistake, the consequences can be devastating. If a judge has erred, you must act immediately.
Family Law Litigation
If you do not feel that mediation is an option, or if your spouse or ex-spouse will not agree to mediate, then you may have no other alternative but litigation.
Family Law Mediation
If you are having issues in your marriage, or if one or both of you believe it best to end the marital relationship, mediation is often the most amicable and cost-effective way to transition into the next phase of your lives.
Post-Nuptial Agreements
Married couples may be surprised to learn that estate planning documents can transfer property rights upon divorce even if the estate planning attorney expressly intended the transfer “for estate planning purposes only.”
Premarital Agreements
Most marital disputes are financial. By entering into a well-drafted premarital agreement, parties can protect their rights and enjoy their marriage without having to argue or worry about money.
