Family law attorneys are often thought of as divorce lawyers, but there are many different types of cases that a Torrance family law attorney can help with.
California family laws cover divorce, child custody and support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, legal separation, and other matters that you and your family might be facing. Keep reading to learn more about different types of California family law cases.
Child Custody And Support Matters
Child custody and support matters are often sources of contention between parents. Custody terms impact where a child lives, visitation schedules, and important decisions made for the child, such as religious upbringing and education.
Child support terms determine how much money one parent is responsible for paying the other parent for the support of the child. Support decisions depend on each family’s unique facts and circumstances, including the child’s needs, how much time the child spends with each parent, and each parent’s income and ability to earn a living.
Establishing Paternity With A Family Law Attorney
Many child custody and support cases require one parent to establish paternity before custody and support terms can be determined. Family law attorneys generally help their clients establish paternity so that parents can secure the financial support they need to raise their children and exercise their custody and visitation rights.
Divorce And Legal Separation
Ending your marriage or legally separating from your spouse is a life-changing decision. The legal separation and divorce processes are similar in that certain terms must be determined, including child custody and support, spousal support, and property division.
Once these terms are decided by an agreement between spouses or a family law judge, a court order will dissolve your marriage or document your separation. The grounds for legal separation and divorce are the same, but the main difference between divorce and legal separation is your status at the end of the legal process.
Upon the court’s order to dissolve your marriage, you are no longer married and are to marry someone else. When you are separated, you are still legally married, and you may not marry someone else unless you go through the divorce process first.
Divorce Mediation
Divorcing spouses often want to avoid the time and expense of going through a trial and letting a judge decide their divorce terms. Couples frequently turn to divorce mediation to help them resolve legal issues in private.
With the help of their family law attorneys, spouses meet with a neutral third-party mediator to try to work through their divorce disputes. With their respective attorneys, divorcing spouses can work to reach agreements on important matters in mediation, including child custody, spousal support, and division of assets, property, and debt.
Orders Of Protection
Orders of protection, also known as restraining orders, are issued to protect people who have been harmed by someone else’s wrongful conduct. Restraining orders are often issued in domestic situations where one party has abused, harassed, or otherwise mistreated someone with whom they have or had a close relationship.
Restraining orders are issued by a judge, spelling out specifically what the restrained person must do or stop doing to someone else. For example, orders of protection may require a domestic abuser to move out of a home shared with the abuse victim. They may also order a person to stay away or stop all communication with a person who sought the restraining order.
Prenuptial And Postnuptial Agreements
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are marital contracts between spouses or couples planning to get married. These contracts are generally used to set forth terms, such as debt and asset division, should they decide to divorce. Prenuptial agreements are signed before a couple is married, and postnuptial agreements are executed after the wedding.
These agreements can significantly impact your future and your financial well-being, so it is important that you and your spouse are each represented by independent family law attorneys. Your attorney will ensure that the agreement is in your best interests and complies with California marital agreement laws.
Contact A Torrance Family Law Attorney Today
If you need help with a family matter, contact a Torrance family law attorney today at 424-250-9130 or online. California attorney Bruce A. Mandel handles all types of family law matters. He knows how important your case is to you, and he will work to protect your rights and best interests.
Follow his Facebook page for information about the Law Offices of Bruce A. Mandel and important updates about California family laws.
