Mass Black Judge

When legal proceedings concerning your family arise, finding an experienced lawyer is key. But where can you start looking?

Family lawyers often have an outside perspective when it comes to asset negotiations and financial issues, helping ensure you receive what is owed to you – this is especially important when negotiating child custody and support arrangements.

Marriage and Divorce

Family law attorneys specialize in matters that touch upon people’s most intimate aspects of life. They can negotiate property settlement agreements, file for divorce and work to protect the best interests of children in custody proceedings.

Family lawyers also often assist victims of domestic violence with obtaining restraining orders against abusive partners and working toward child support payments or other forms of financial support to meet family needs.

As with any legal specialty, success in family law requires extensive specialized knowledge and an in-depth knowledge of court systems in different jurisdictions. Beyond this, however, successful family lawyers also need strong written and oral communication skills in order to convey calmly yet constructively with clients who may be dealing with sensitive matters that could have an emotional impact. Furthermore, family lawyers need to demonstrate compassion while handling such cases that often cause stress for everyone involved.

Child Custody and Support

Parents going through divorce or separation often must agree on how to share custody of their children, which may require mediation or litigation depending on the specifics. A lawyer can assist parents in creating an appropriate custody arrangement that serves the best interests of the children involved and arrange visitation rights for either party via a schedule that can either be agreed upon between themselves or set by a judge.

Family lawyers offer invaluable assistance for families dealing with custody and support matters, as well as advocating on their behalf against domestic abuse. Restraining orders against abusive partners or spouses may be filed, and safe housing, social services and legal aid provided if needed. As family law involves deeply personal matters that require strong people skills for success – those that excel at this area may find the experience emotionally fulfilling.

Adoption

Adoption is the legal process by which people who aren’t biologically related are given parent-child relationships that do not endanger biological rights of parents; terminating them and giving those rights over to an adoptive parent(s). While adoption can be a difficult and lengthy process, our family law practice assists clients through all stages.

Adoption proceedings in New York State can take place either in Family or Surrogate’s Courts. A petition must be filed with either court in order to begin the adoption process; once approved by a judge, contact may or may not be approved depending on what’s best for the child.

Adoption can also take the form of open or closed adoptions, with laws differing across jurisdictions regarding how much contact and information is shared between biological parents. Some states permit an irrevocable “consent to adoption”, while in other locations parental rights can only be revoked with prior court authorization.

Property Division

Property division, in divorce or separation proceedings, refers to the process by which assets and debts are divided between spouses in an equitable fashion. This can encompass everything from real estate and vehicles to bank accounts and retirement savings accounts. Property division can often become contentious during proceedings if substantial assets are at stake or any suspected concealment exists; an experienced Bergen County property division lawyer can help couples reach agreements without litigation and provide guidance throughout this process.

Most states adhere to an equitable distribution system when it comes to property, meaning assets acquired during marriage are considered marital property and should be divided fairly and equally between spouses. Unfortunately, however, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish what separate property there may be and what has become mixed property when one or both spouses invest separate funds into joint assets such as a home.