Thinking About Divorce? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Having a life partner is a wonderful feeling. Being able to share your daily life with a person who cares deeply about you is something you can cherish forever. However, as with many situations in life, sometimes, things just don’t work out. In the United States, the most recent divorce rate is 2.9 per 1,000 population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As the U.S. Census Bureau reports in the 2017 Current Population Survey, there are approximately 130 million married adults in America, but close to half of all marriages end in divorce.

Divorces are fairly common in our society, as it’s important that people have an avenue to exit an unhealthy relationship. Divorce can be different for everyone, as each relationship will have its own ups and downs and its own strengths and weaknesses.

It’s part of life that sometimes people may grow apart and may be better off on their own. If you’re thinking about divorce, here’s what you need to know to keep your family happy and healthy.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

There’s no secret that every relationship takes a lot of work. You can’t put minimal effort in and expect marriage to thrive and last forever. Relationships are built on love, trust, and communication, and if you’re missing one of these core pillars, you’ll really struggle to keep things going.

While you should certainly do your part to make your marriage work, you also should feel proud of yourself for doing the best you could. There comes a time when you realize that things just aren’t working, and perhaps for your safety, wellbeing and personal happiness you’ll be more successful if you’re separated.

The key is that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself once you reach the point of moving forward separately. This is especially true if you are the victim of physical, verbal and/or emotional abuse.

If you have been mistreated, neglected and/or lied to by an unfaithful, unloyal or uncaring partner, then you should try your best to find a safe space where you can talk about your feelings and process what your future could be.

Your spouse’s behavior may be out of your control, and you need support and guidance to help you understand the idea that there’s nothing more you could have done. If you’ve given it your all and it still wasn’t enough, then divorce is definitely the most viable option. A highly reputable and regarded family attorney can help you through the process.

You Have Options During a Divorce

Oftentimes, people stay in unhealthy relationships because they think they have no choice. They worry about what will happen to their families and their finances if they leave.

While it’s understandable to be concerned about these things, it’s also important that you put your own happiness and wellbeing first for a change. There are options to explore when you want to separate from your spouse.

Lawyers who specialize in divorce can help you navigate your new path to a better life on your own. Even the most complicated situations, such as those involving monetary disputes and child custody arrangements, can be worked out with the help of family attorneys who dedicated their lives to supporting others during difficult times.

Even though the idea of divorce may seem very daunting and overwhelming to you, it’s a more attractive alternative than being unhappy and miserable for the rest of your life in a doomed marriage.

It Won’t Always Be This Way

Another thing you should remember when facing divorce is that you will make it through this speed bump. Your life won’t always be like this, and by moving forward and getting on with your life you’ll be opening up opportunities for more personal happiness and success.

While it may seem like the pain and sadness will never go away, it will as time passes.

Divorces can be amicable, hostile and everything in between. Knowing what you know about your partner, you can gauge how they may react and respond to divorce proceedings and prepare accordingly. If you’re worried, they will be very angry and aggressive, then it’s in your best interests to contact a divorce attorney sooner rather than later.

Legal guidance can make a huge difference in the divorce process, and you won’t regret having someone by your side with the appropriate knowledge and expertise to help with your situation. Regardless of what happens during your divorce, just hold steady to the idea that your future will be great. Moving on with your life can have such a positive impact on you and the people who care about you.

Your Future is Bright

It’s totally true that your post-divorce life is full of promise and potential. If it’s time for you to move on, think of this as an opportunity for you to focus on the things you are truly interested in.

Your family and friends will learn to adjust to your new normal, as will you. It will require patience and flexibility, but your life is far from over just because you’re getting a divorce. There’s hope on the horizon; you’ll be much happier and healthier once you kiss a soured relationship goodbye.

It will be good for your family members to see you taking care of yourself.

Hiring a Lawer For Your Divorce

If you are thinking about divorce, but don’t know what to do, we can help you. There are plenty of resources out there and many people who have been in your shoes. You’d be surprised how many people there are who can relate to your situation and give you guidance.

Plus, you can always contact divorce attorneys who would are happy to help get you moving forward. This is a call you won’t regret making. Good luck on your new journey!

surrogacy and surrogacy lawyers why you should hire one

Surrogacy Lawyer – Top 9 Reasons to Hire One

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If you’re looking for reasons why you should hire a surrogacy lawyer, you’re in the right place. Choosing the route of surrogacy in order to bring a child into this world is both an exciting and daunting decision.

Yes, the anticipation of meeting your child is incredibly exciting, but complicated fertility and surrogacy laws can take away from these positive feelings.

This is why the expertise of a surrogacy lawyer makes all the difference along your journey to blissful surrogacy.

Learn more about how a surrogacy lawyer can help you along the way in this blog.

What is Surrogacy?

For couples who have struggled with the inability to naturally conceive or carry a child, surrogacy is a non-invasive answer to fulfilling a desire to become parents.

Basically, surrogacy is a procedure which is assisted by reproductive technology which supports in vitro fertilization (IVF).

This is otherwise known as the implantation of a mother’s egg and a father’s semen into a willing surrogate who carries a healthy child to term.

Here’s How a Surrogacy Lawyer Can Help

All the biological details aside, it’s recommended that a surrogacy agreement should not be entered into without consulting a surrogacy lawyer first.

Why? Let’s dive into the facts:

1. Honest Experience

From the get-go, a surrogacy lawyer will discuss exactly what to expect from the process with prospective parents. This includes an outline on the timeline of surrogacy, costs, and any legal issues or hurdles that could arise.

An experienced lawyer will be able to answer any questions you may have and put to bed your doubts and concerns, once and for all.

2. Objectively Assist in the Selection Process

When it comes to choosing the ideal surrogate mother to bear your child, it may be difficult for prospective parents to make a clear-headed, objective decision.

This is totally understandable- there is so much emotion to attached the process of bringing a child into the world. This is where a surrogacy lawyer can help parents see the facts and make the right decision on a surrogate.

3. Help to Minimize Risk and Liability

Surrogacy is a complicated process, fraught with reams of paperwork that may be difficult to understand or decipher. As a prospective parent, you can expect to sign multiple contracts at once, so this is where a surrogacy lawyer can help simplify the process.

During this process, a lawyer can help to minimize risk and liability by helping you to understand what you’re signing, before committing to a contract.

4. Assist in Establishing Parental Rights

This is one of the most important areas of the surrogacy process- establishing your rights as the parents of your baby.

In order to do so, a legal document must be drawn up and signed, or a court order must be obtained by the legal parents. Laws for each state tend to vary, so this is where a surrogacy lawyer can help you streamline this process.

Additionally, working with the expertise of an experienced law firm helps parents to minimize legal risk before even matching with a surrogate. In other words, you’ll be armed with a legal ”plan” before entering into surrogacy.

5. Help to Understate Certain State Laws

Across the United States, surrogacy laws tend to change from one state to another. In some cases, these laws may even change according to your county.

All surrogacy lawyers should be attuned to all current laws pertaining to your state or county and able to assist in discerning these laws.

This also helps when your surrogate is from another state, and the law varies from yours to theirs. In this case, you may need separate representation. But a surrogacy lawyer well-versed in the law across numerous states can help avoid this.

6. Assist in Monetary Discussions and Agreements

The topic of money when it comes to surrogacy is often a very sensitive and highly-contended subject. A lawyer acts as the ”middle man” in this situation and takes over discussions and agreements about money with your surrogate.

Bear in mind that a lawyer enters these discussions with an objective frame-of-mind, and will be able to come to an agreement without emotion. They are also far less likely to feel pressured into agreeing on certain sums of money if they aren’t appropriate!

Basically, they will ensure that you are not paying a surrogate an inordinate amount, but only what is fair according to local standards.

7. Establish Degree of Contact and Relationship Management

Your surrogacy lawyer will be there to establish how much or how little you wish to be in contact with your surrogate. If you do not wish to communicate directly with your surrogate at all, your lawyer acts as a point-of-contact.

Along with this, a lawyer will help with relationship management throughout the course of your surrogacy journey. Should you have any issues, concerns or questions, a lawyer can provide the peace-of-mind you need.

8. Assist in Dispute Resolution

Disputes, disagreements, and quarrels may arise during your surrogacy journey. For example, you may not agree with your surrogate’s way of life, actions, or diet while they’re carrying your child.

This is where a surrogacy lawyer steps in and helps to resolve any disagreements, a breach of contract or settle your concerns.

9. Assist in Drafting of Surrogate Contracts

Finally, a lawyer will be there from the beginning to draft all enforceable surrogacy contracts. These contracts are extremely important as they address important issues which may arise before, during, or after pregnancy.

It’s not always possible to foresee these issues as prospective parents without the experience or foresight of a professional. This is why they are there to help!

Find Your Family Attorney With Us

Looking for the perfect surrogacy lawyer to assist in your family planning journey? Family Attorneys Near Me is your go-to for an assortment of listings of the best this country has to offer!

Have a query about our listed attorneys? Get in touch with us today…

Sources

[1] In vitro fertilization (IVF). (2018, March 22). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716

[2] Surrogacy in the United States. (2016, February 8). Retrieved from https://www.sensiblesurrogacy.com/surrogacy-in-the-united-states/#surrogacy-friendly-US-states

5 Things a Family Attorney Can Help You With

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There are many reasons why a person might seek the help of a family attorney. The aim of this article is to inform you of five things a family attorney can help you with.

1. Divorce

When two people get married there is a legal relationship between them according to the state. When two people decide that they no longer want to be married there are legal proceedings that must take place.

Depending on what state the two people get married the rules and paperwork required for a divorce will vary. All states in the United States do allow a divorce under what is called a no-fault divorce. Some states do require that two people are separated for a specific length of time.

Additionally, several states have something called a residence requirement. A residence requirement helps to prevent people from looking for the best divorce law in different states.

Also, each state does have certain guidelines for the division of assets and debt in the process of the divorce. Issues such as domestic violence and infidelity can influence the decision of the divorce made by the court. There are many aspects and factors to consider when filing for a divorce. Many of the factors can be overly emotional and stressful. For this reason, having a family attorney in a divorce process can be extremely helpful.

2. Alimony

Another aspect of divorce that a family attorney can help with is alimony. Along with the issue of alimony, spousal support it’s also common in divorces. Various states have a method to help determine the amount of spousal support that is required.

This is not always the case, though. Sometimes, it can be up to the discretion of the judge. In the circumstances that a court uses a method to determine a support amount, it’s important that the court has all the correct information they need. When it comes to spousal support, the length of time that two people are married is a consideration made by the court.

Another factor also depends upon whether a parent has the ability to pay for the care of the children, as well as any level of debt that was accumulated with joint effort.

In such situations, the court will look at the age of both people requesting the divorce to determine whether they’re able to work or not. One of the final considerations made is any misconduct that occurred from either of the people within their relationship. A family lawyer can work to offer evidence of various aspects needed to influence the court’s decision. Evidence and influence of the court allow for the best possible outcome that a person is looking for.

3. Child Custody

A highly debated form of law done by family attorneys is child custody. Many states will make the decision on child custody and the amount of time a parent gets with the child based on what is best for that child.

In such a situation the court will consider factors such as which parent is the one that has a better bond with the child as well as whether a parent can provide a stable home for the child.
If two parents can agree on a custody agreement the court will usually allow for it. But if the parents are unable to come to an agreement in the presence of a family lawyer is needed. Family lawyers are able to provide evidence about what is best for the child to the court. Evidence can include the child’s school records, letters by a psychologist or counselor, medical records and more.

A family lawyer will work to get all of the evidence needed for the court. Another thing is that family lawyers are knowledgeable about the rules of each state. When dealing with child custody, they have to be considerate of the rules regarding evidence and what is applicable or not within the jurisdiction.

4. Child Support

Aside from the child custody issues, child support is another area where family lawyers come into play. This is because children have a right to receive support from both parents.

The overall aim of child support is to give children whose parents are no longer together the ability to live with the same financial stability that they would have if both parents were still living together. Additionally, the courts generally decide that the parent caring for the child gives direct support to them.

When deciding the amount of child support that will be paid the court considers things like income, tax deductions, insurance, and childcare costs. A family lawyer will work with you to ensure that the amount of child support being paid is correct. The lawyer can do this by making sure the other parent does not hide any income or employment records.

 

5. Domestic Violence

The last thing that family lawyers are able to assist you with is issues with domestic violence. Domestic violence situations happen when threats or abuse occurs between two individuals’ in a relationship.

When this happens, a family lawyer can help you to navigate certain avenues necessary to keep yourself safe. Lawyers help people to get orders of protection or restraining orders against people committing acts of domestic violence.

On the other hand, family lawyers can also help to stop any false claims of domestic violence between two people. A common belief is that domestic violence is only physical. But this is not true, domestic violence may be emotional, mental, physical, sexual, and even financial.

Finding a Family Attorney

For many, getting a family attorney is the best option to provide safety and stability to the home. If you think you might be in need of a family attorney, you should contact a family law office.

Dealing with legal issues and court proceedings without the help of a family lawyer is tiring and can sometimes be devastating.

Parent lures a child away to kidnap them and keep them away from the other parent.

Parental Kidnapping: What it is and How to Prevent it

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Nothing makes rough family life more harrowing than being haunted by the idea of parental kidnapping. Parental kidnapping happens every day, and it tears families apart.

However, there are many precautions you can take to prevent spousal kidnapping. These precautions are simple and easy to follow.

Even if your child is abducted by your spouse, you can make sure they come back to you as quickly as possible.

You also need to know what constitutes parental kidnapping, so that you don’t take any rash or unnecessary actions. So read this guide thoroughly so you can be as informed as possible on spousal kidnapping.

What is Parental Kidnapping? 

The exact kidnapping definition varies from state to state. However, it is generally agreed upon that child kidnapping is the taking or hiding of a child by a parent in violation of the other parent’s rights.

What this means in practice is that if there is a legal custody agreement between people about visitation rights, taking custody of the child outside of the agreed timeframe would be parental child abduction.

So if two parents divorce, they might agree that one has custody rights during the week, and the other has visitation rights on weekends.

If the parent with weekend visitation rights picks the child up from school on a Tuesday and keeps them at their house for the night, that parent could be charged with child abduction.

Another example would be a parent with weekend visitation rights refusing to return the child to the parent with weekday custody.

If they were to keep the child past the weekend and took that child across state lines, this would be an example of interstate child abduction.

How Can I tell if My Spouse Will Kidnap My Children?  

There are several ways to tell if your spouse is planning on abducting your child, or if they’re likely to kidnap your child.

Some warning sins are:

  • Taking your child to unknown places without your consent or knowledge in the past.
  • Behave abusively towards your child.
  • History of threatening to kidnap your child before.
  • The parent has no job, family, or friends in the state.
  • Recently quit their job and have been gathering your child’s records.
  • Married for citizenship status, and your marriage has gone sour and any of the previous conditions apply.

If you suspect your souse is likely to kidnap your child, inform your lawyer and any family members.

What Can I Do if My Child is Kidnapped? 

Unfortunately, if your child is going to be kidnapped, they will most likely be kidnapped by a family member.

In the event that you become aware that your child has been kidnapped by your spouse, here are some tips on what you can do.

Contact your spouse.

People are only human, and sometimes they may forget what day it was. Make absolutely sure that your spouse has kidnapped your child with malicious intent. Also, remember that most children who are kidnapped do come home.

Contact your spouse’s family.

If something has happened to your spouse, like a car accident or fire, their family members will be the first to know.

Contact the authorities.

If your child hasn’t been brought back to you when you have custody, the police will investigate.

If you do this, be aware that your child may not ever see that parent again, as they will lose custody, and will not be able to provide for your child.

How Can I Prevent My Spouse from Kidnapping My Child? 

While you can’t control what your spouse does, you can deter them from parental child abduction with some precautions.

The first thing you want to do is to make sure you have updated photos of your child. A picture of them in the last six months should be enough to help people find them.

Make sure you have updated copies of your spouse’s passport, social security number, and the make and model of their car. If you can get their driver’s license number, and their bank account numbers, that would also go a long way.

Make sure you have all of their phone numbers and a current picture.

Also, have the contact information to one of their friends, co-workers, or business associates, as those persons might know about any places they like to frequent, or any preferred hotels or airlines.

They may also know where they were seen last.

Remember to get your child’s fingerprints on record so they can be traced if they’re taken by your spouse.

This makes it much easier to track them down in the event that they run away with your children without telling you where they went.

All of this may seem excessive or intrusive to your former partner, and they may ask the same information of you. If this is the case, it may come to pass that neither of you feels comfortable giving this information up.

In this case, you should consider giving this information to a neutral third party, preferably to your respective lawyers, or anyone else who could be trusted with your sensitive information.

Are There Exceptions To Child Kidnapping Laws? 

If the other parent has reason to believe you have been abusive to your child, they can take them to a court and file for emergency custody.

The other parent may be granted emergency custody if they believe you have been abusing your child, neglecting them, or putting them in life-threatening situations.

If they claim this, it is on them to prove their allegations. They are also going to have to take action as soon as they’re aware of any abuse on your part.

You Can Make Sure Your Kids Are Safe

Your top priority is making sure your children are safe, even from a parent that would hurt them.

If you suspect that your child may be in danger of parental kidnapping, it’s in your best interest to do everything you can to protect them.

This is especially true if there isn’t a current custody agreement between you and your child’s other parent.

Getting a good lawyer is instrumental in expediting any custody agreements. If you don’t have a lawyer or would like to bolster your legal counsel, you can search for one here.

Making sure there are clear legal boundaries that define when your child is allowed to leave your care is paramount to their safety and your peace of mind.

Sources

[1] Kidnapping Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.creditdonkey.com/kidnapping-statistics.html

[2] National Child Kidnapping Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pollyklaas.org/about/national-child-kidnapping.html