Family law addresses many challenging legal matters that affect families directly. While this includes divorce and the terms of divorce, family law goes well beyond these issues, including both prenups and postnups, paternity, grandparent’s rights, and guardians ad litem. If you are facing a family law concern, don’t wait to discuss the matter with an experienced family law attorney in Chicago.
The matter of divorce is very specific to the couple involved, but the terms that must be resolved do not vary, including:
Each term that applies to your divorce represents a financial or parental right that must be resolved, and that has the potential to become quite complicated.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements refer to contracts that are created prior to marriage or during the marriage, respectively, and they can address matters such as the division of marital property and alimony in the event the marriage ends. These contracts help take the financial guesswork out of divorce, which can bolster a couple’s efforts to work on their marriage.
When a couple is married at the time of a child’s birth, the matter of paternity – or who the child’s legal father is – is presumed. When a couple is together at the time of a child’s birth but is not married, paternity can be established voluntarily by completing a form in the hospital together.
Otherwise, however, the matter of paternity must be resolved. This generally involves one of the parents seeking the court’s intervention, which usually requires DNA testing. Further, if the mother seeks state services for the child, the court can initiate testing of its own.
When a child’s parent or parents have not been categorized as unfit, they have sole discretion in the matter of whether grandparents have visitation rights. Only when a grandparent can prove that depriving them of visitation with their grandchildren will prove physically or emotionally harmful to those grandchildren will the court intervene by awarding visitation.
Guardians ad litem serve as children’s advocates in court matters, and they are guided by the best interests of the children whom they represent. Generally, guardians ad litem address child custody concerns, and they’re often family law attorneys who have special training in supporting children’s rights. These advocates are usually assigned by the courts to help ensure that court rulings uphold the children’s best interests.
If you’re facing a family law concern, seeking skilled legal guidance is always in your best interest, and the trusted Chicago family law attorneys at Arami Law, Inc., are well-positioned and well-prepared to help. The outcome of your case is important to your future, so please don’t wait to reach out for more information about what we can do to help you by contacting us today.
We are here to help you succeed and protect what you value most.