Our society has various legal rules regarding our relationships. Although your connection with your spouse, children, and grandchildren might be emotional and based on love, there are still laws that have some control over what we can and cannot do.
A Fort Lauderdale family lawyer understands these laws and can assist you in navigating a variety of issues.
Drafting and Negotiating Marital Agreements
Written contracts can help a couple navigate the marital relationship. Although some people do not want to think about what happens if their marriage falls apart, a frank conversation about money and financial expectations can actually improve a marriage. A family law attorney in Fort Lauderdale can draft an agreement to cover almost any circumstance.
A prenuptial agreement (prenup) is a contract that fiancés negotiate before marriage and it requires both parties to disclose all their assets and debts. The couple could use a prenup to segregate specified property and decide how to divide marital assets if they divorce. Prenups are especially important if one or both individuals have children from prior relationships.
A postnuptial agreement could do many of the same things a prenup does, except that it is written after the marriage becomes legal. A couple also could create a postnup if their prenup is outdated or no longer fair due to developments in their lives. Sometimes couples use a postnuptial agreement to protect one spouse if the other has liability due to a partnership interest or a lawsuit.
Separation Agreements
Couples considering divorce often decide to live apart for a while and decide whether permanently ending their marriage is the right step. A separation agreement could cover issues like who pays which bills, where the children live, and other practical concerns.
Handling All Aspects of Divorce
Many marriages do not endure forever. Getting a divorce is a complicated legal proceeding that could be much simpler with good guidance from a Fort Lauderdale family attorney.
All couples must divide their marital property, allocate their debt, and decide whether one spouse will receive alimony. Negotiations over these issues could get heated and deciding how to co-parent children is even more emotional for many couples. Florida Statutes § 61.13(2)(b) requires divorcing parents to create a parenting plan that describes where the children will live most of the time, how the parents will split time with them, and how they will make decisions regarding the children after their divorce.
It is always preferable for a divorcing couple to negotiate a settlement agreement and parenting plan. Mediation helps many couples and negotiations between the spouse’s legal representatives also could be effective. If the couple cannot agree, the court will schedule a trial and a Judge will decide on the outstanding issues. Proper legal support throughout the process could help you avoid that outcome.
Other Family Law Issues in Fort Lauderdale
Other issues frequently come up in a family law practice. For example, securing child support or parenting time with a father can be challenging if the parents are not married. A lawyer can help a mother or father establish legal paternity for their child.
Tragic situations sometimes prevent grandparents from maintaining close relationships with their grandchildren. In many cases, there are legal interventions that could ensure the grandchildren and grandparents can continue to have contact with each other.
A family law attorney in Fort Lauderdale can be helpful if someone wants to adopt their stepchild or their partner’s child. When a child, disabled family member, or elderly relative needs a guardian to make financial or personal decisions, an attorney can offer advice and support.
Consult a Fort Lauderdale Family Attorney Today
When your family concerns lead to legal roadblocks, you need an attorney you can trust to be discreet, reliable, and aggressive when necessary. A Fort Lauderdale family lawyer can be your advocate in any family matter.
Do not try to manage a situation without help from The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm. For a free, confidential consultation, reach out to our team today.