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Why Would You Need a Family Lawyer?

Why Would You Need a Family Lawyer

There might be various reasons why you would require a family lawyer.  Usually, they relate to issues of the breakdown of the marriage or marriage-like relationship, common-law, et cetera.  You might need a family law lawyer for other matters such as adoption, paternity testing, child support outside of a marriage or even for restraining orders, peace bonds, or matters of the like.

The standard reason why you would need a family law lawyer is to deal with the breakdown of a marriage or marriage-like relationship.  That may then involve issues of spousal support, child support, property division, division of debts, et cetera.

Family law issues can be among the hardest to solve because of the emotions involved.  You need to know how the law will apply in the different circumstances which may be relevant in your case.  Having a family law lawyer assisting you can benefit you in many ways.

In this article, we are discussing “Why Would You Need a Family Lawyer?

Why Would You Need a Family Lawyer?

Really, each case is different.  You need to tell the lawyer what it is that you need.  Every family is different and has different needs.  In some cases the only issue might be child support and child custody, access, visitation, or parenting time, as it is now known in Alberta under the Family Law Act.  They all mean the same thing.  Under the Divorce Act it is still referred to as access and visitation.  Child custody is an issue. Child custody connotes and confers the ability to make all the important decisions for the child, such as religion, education, sports and arts, diet and exercise, you name it.  Often after a separation you will want to have involvement in these kinds of decisions.

Every case is different.  There may be no children involved.  Maybe it is a matter of just dividing property.  Maybe it is a matter of just dividing debt.  Maybe you already have an agreement and you just want to have it approved by the court with the least amount of cost and agony involved.

Hiring a lawyer is never fun.  It is done out of necessity.  Why would you need a family law lawyer?  Only you will know and you need to tell your family law lawyer what it is that you need.  We can help with all matters related to family law.  Some of the obvious and most typical are as follows.

Divorce

About 50% of relationships end in divorce statistically.  So nowadays, half or more people are going to face the end of their marriage relationship.  This is a reality of life.  Nevertheless, divorce can be one of the most painful procedures you will ever experience or be made to experience because of the significant emotional impact and toil it can take.

Below are a few points with which family lawyers can help you during the course of a divorce.

  • Rights over marital property.
  • Rights for custody, access, visitation, parenting time for children.
  • Agreements between the parties to have approved by the courts so that they are binding and enforceable.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are facing these types of issues, then a Calgary Family Lawyer can certainly help you.  A Calgary Family Lawyer will stand behind you and will fight on your behalf for your legal rights.

Custody

As mentioned elsewhere in this website, when we are talking about custody we are talking about making decisions for the child.  All the important decisions, and the most important decisions really.  Where will the child go to school; what will the child do in their spare time; what church will the child go to, if any; things such as will the child eat meat or be a vegan; will the child receive medical attention, and where, and from whom.  Custody may be joint custody or sole custody.

Adoption

Family lawyers can certainly assist you if you want to adopt a child.  Lawyers are often involved in the legal process for adoption.  Adoption usually requires court approval and court appearances.  Sometimes people will legally adopt a child with whom they have been the defacto parent for many years but they want to make that implicit relationship legally binding to show their true love and support for the child.  This typically happens where partners have joined together and one of the partners had a child from a previous relationship.  A Calgary Family Lawyer can help with all stages of the adoption legal process.

While you do not necessarily need a lawyer to proceed with an adoption case, given that you may not know the legal process involved, it is advisable to have the help of a Calgary Family Lawyer.  This gives you the best chance of succeeding in adopting the child and in the least burdensome and most timely fashion.

Child Support

Every parent should want to look after their children even after divorce.  Moreover, every parent is legally required to look after their children financially and to ensure the safety and support of their children.  The Federal Child Support Guidelines govern.  Even if you were never married, even if it were a one night stand where paternity is being alleged or has been proven, every parent has to support their child financially at least until the child is 18 or finishes college or university.  If the child has special needs, it could go on for a long time.

You want to make sure that you are receiving an appropriate level of child support if you are the primary caregiver for the child.  You want to make sure that you are getting a fair shake and paying no more than legally required (unless you want to pay more which is also an option) if you are to be the payor.

It is a complex process.  Child support in Alberta, although it is done in accordance with legislation, can still be a complex process where the advice of a good Calgary Family Lawyer can be invaluable.  You may be entitled to more than you know.  If you are the payor, you may be paying too much.  There are numerous considerations which are too many to go through here in an exhaustive list because every fact situation may be a little bit different.  You should speak to a family lawyer about your case and your facts.  A Calgary Family Lawyer can help you to get the child support payments, to enforce orders, to enforce agreements, to vary orders.  And if you are the payor, likewise, a child support lawyer can help you so that you get fair treatment and the best possible outcome according to law in Alberta.

Conclusion

“Why Would You Need a Family Lawyer?”  At its most basic level, the family lawyer knows the applicable family law.  The family lawyer has not only gone through years of university training, law school, et cetera, but will have experience before the courts in Alberta on a day to day basis arguing cases just like yours from both sides whether for the child support recipient or the child support payor.  Let the lawyer’s experience work for you in your case.

Without losing focus that there are other issues beyond child support, for example you may be in a divorce or the breakdown of a relationship where there were no children.  Again, the Calgary Family Lawyer can help you.  You will have issues of property division.  You will have issues of debt division.  You want to get a final order for divorce or to separate and have it enforceable and finalized so that you are not left for an immeasurable period of time with this issue bothering you.  You want to get it done in a reasonable way, according to the law, in a way which is fair, and move on with your life.  It is understandable that, not being a lawyer yourself, you need to hire an experienced in the field.  That is what a Calgary Family Lawyer will do for you.

If you are facing issues of divorce, child custody, access, visitation, parenting time, division of property, high net worth divorce, or any other issues surrounding divorce or the breakdown of a common-law relationship, separation, et cetera, in any such case, in any family law scenario, Family Lawyers Calgary will be happy to assist you.

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