Family Law



Family law is the name given to the branch of civil law that a family lawyer or a family attorney covers including the legal relationships among family members, including husbands, wives, parents, children, and domestic partners. A family law attorney or a family law lawyer specializes in the family law relationships which encompass adoption, child custody, visitation rights, domestic violence, divorce, juvenile dependency and delinquency, marital property rights, support obligations, and paternity. Because these personal relationships are governed by state law, what constitutes "family law" may vary from state to state. Please read on to find a family lawyer, family attorney or to learn more about family law. Family lawyer and family attorney information provided by Lawyers.com.

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Legal articles focusing on Family Law
Name Changes and Document Updates After Marriage
There are two ways to change your name after you get married. For the common usage method, make sure that your new name is on your marriage certificate, get a new driver's license and social security card, and update existing records. The other method is to get a court order and update your records.
Checklist: Preparing for Divorce
A marriage can end in a sudden explosion or die slowly over many years. Regardless of how much warning you have, and whether or not you initiated it, you are probably not nearly as prepared as you need to be. Take a deep breath and go over the things you need to do during this process.
Sharing Custody
Determining "what's best" for the kids during a divorce isn't easy. Many say shared custody plans work the best. Find out why.
Child Support
Child support is the obligation to make payments for the financial care and support of your child during and after a separation or divorce. Generally, the non-custodial parent pays the custodial parent. A father may be required to pay the mother or the mother may be required to pay the father.
Collecting Past Due Child Support
There are a number of ways you can go about collecting past due child support. Wage garnishment is the preferred method of child support collection in most states. Property liens, license suspensions, and even criminal charges are other ways to enforce child support orders.

Ask a Lawyer - Family Law questions answered by leading lawyers
How Can I Avoid Going to Jail for Back Child Support?

I have a child who is 18 and his mother just served me with papers for the arrears payment ($33,995). I do own a home and want to take out a home equity loan to pay the arrears in full.

She is asking for me to be imprisoned if not paid in full by the court date of July 6, 2010. What are my options in order to avoid imprisonment?

What Happens If My Ex-Spouse Hasn't Gotten a QDRO Approved Against My Retirement?

I was divorced in 2000 at which time my ex was granted half of my retirement for the time we were married. Her attorney did not file the proper paperwork/QDRO so my employer's plan administrator threw out the request for her to receive half. I retire in 8 years.

Can I Get Back Child Support After the Child is an Adult?

After a divorce and with consent from the father, I moved from South Carolina to Mississippi with our 3 year old child to have my family help support and raise the child. In the divorce papers it stated the father was supposed to pay child support, help with school, etc., but the lawyer I had in South Carolina did not run it through a family court office.

The father has only paid a small amount of what is owed. I have been busy working to make ends meet. I was so upset at the fact he did not/was not helping, and I could not afford an attorney, so I did not press the issue. Now, with the economy so bad, my child is a 20 year old college student and I am still supporting him, and trying to pay for his expenses and mine.

Can I go back and get back support, and if so which state should I file in - Mississippi or South Carolina? Should I try contacting my ex and tell him if he does not cough up some funds I am going to file papers? He is buying new vehicles and a house and fixing to re-marry for the 6th or 7th time since me and still refuses to help us out.

What Happens If the Other Parent Takes Our Child's Passport?

My children's father confiscated our children's passports. I travel often with them and have a trip planned for next month. We are not married, but he is listed on their birth certificates. Is there a way to obtain a passport without his consent?

I have a very good job in the United States and have no intention to leave (only our children are US citizens). I have never filed for sole custody or even child support as we used to be on good terms.

Is Our Parenting Agreement Binding?

My ex and I made a parenting agreement to which she has given me full custody of our son. We went and had the paper work notarized. Now that I have this, do I need to file this in a state court or is the written agreement enough?

I want it to hold up if there should ever be a problem with our agreement. She gets visits every other weekend, but I am worried about this since she is bipolar and suffering from depression.


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