Trial Lawyer
You may find you need a trial lawyer for numerous reasons. The following are a list of situations where a trial lawyer may be helpful to your family and/or you. Craig M. Divine with the Divine Law Office, LLC is a trial lawyer. Contact Divine Law Office, LLC today for a free consultation.
Divorce can be one of the most difficult situations a person can face in their life, particularly when there are children involved. It is always worth it to try and save the relationship but if your efforts to keep your spouse from calling it quits have failed then you need a good attorney in your corner who can fight to protect your interests. Even if you are not yet to a divorce proceeding a legal separation or paternity actions can be just as serious in regards to your rights to parenting time with your children, child support payments and possible maintenance. Know your rights and put experience in your corner.
Divorce
Easily one of the hardest personal challenges a person can face. Our specific legal term for divorce is a Dissolution of Marriage and it will affect everything in your world. It is important to know what your rights are regarding access to your home and bank accounts, who needs to pay for what, how to handle insurance for yourself and your dependents. Everything you have worked to build might be on the table and you need an experienced attorney who knows how to protect what belongs to you and will fight to ensure you are able to be the parent to your children that you want to be.
Separation
A legal separation can be a viable option to divorce for those couples who want some space to work on the relationship but don’t want to go all the way to divorce. Less common than a traditional divorce it can offer some advantages to couples who want to keep separate finances and property during the separation without interference from the other party. Often debts incurred during a separation are not considered joint debts of the parties if the couple proceeds to dissolution later down the road.
Paternity
If you and your long-time partner have called it quits and you have children together then you need to file a paternity action. This is especially important for men who want to be actively involved in their children’s lives. All too often what starts out as an amicable split between non-married parents can turn nasty when it comes to parenting time with the children. The only way to ensure a regular schedule of visitation that is enforceable in the courts is to get a formal declaration of paternity with an in writing parenting schedule.
Child Custody
Legal custody, physical custody, do you know the difference? Child custody can be complicated and is always comprised of legal custody (the right to receive information and make decisions concerning your child) and physical custody (the right to have parenting time with your child). It is possible to have one parent with sole legal custody and joint physical custody and if you don’t have joint legal custody you don’t get to have input on medical and educational decision affecting your child. Protect your rights to both types of custody and ensure a parenting schedule that ensures your rights to contact with your children and input as to how they are cared for.
Child Support
While this is ultimately a math formula that dictates what amount of child support is paid many factors go into it such as health insurances costs, daycare, tax deductions and if there are any conflicting child support orders already in effect. Child support can be entered administratively in an administrative paternity action without any input from the father.
Modifications
What worked when you got divorce or had a determination of paternity entered may not work anymore. When it is time to go back to the drawing board to redo a parenting plan the stakes can be just as high as when the original order was entered. Even if you don’t need to change the parenting arrangements sometimes significant changes in income or expenses of the child can make a modification necessary. Having an attorney to represent you during this process is just as critical as having one during the divorce or paternity proceeding.
Criminal Non-Support
If you fall behind on your child support you could be facing a criminal charge for criminal non-support. These charges can be misdemeanors or felonies depending on how much is owed and the payment history. You can face JAIL TIME and a LOSS OF DRIVING PRIVILEGES in these types of cases and it is critical that you have an experienced lawyer who can work to either get the case dismissed or severely mitigate the negative impacts on your life and ability to work.
A trial lawyer may be able to help you with any of the examples above.
Contact the Divine Law Office, LLC for a free consultation.
Attorney Craig M. Divine is a member of both the Missouri Bar Association and Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association .