Family law is a legal practice area that focuses on issues involving family relationships such as marriage, adoption, divorce, and child custody, among others.

The attorneys at the Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus are experienced representing clients in family court proceedings or in related negotiations. We also draft important legal documents such as court petitions or marital settlement agreements.

The umbrella of family law encompasses so many different areas.

Terms Related to Family Law:

Marital Property: Property acquired by either spouse during the course of a marriage that is subject to division upon divorce.
Alimony: An allowance made to one spouse by the other for support during or after a legal separation or divorce.
Paternity: Origin or descent from a father (to establish paternity is to confirm the identity of a child’s biological father).
Prenuptial Agreement: An agreement made between a man and a woman before marrying in which they give up future rights to each other’s property in the event of a divorce or death.
Child Support: Court-ordered payments, made by one of the divorced parents, to support one’s minor child or children.

Reasons to Hire a Family Law Attorney

Since family law matters hit so close to home, having a trusted legal professional by your side can help you ensure your loved ones are properly represented and protected during any legal process. We understand that divorce is a highly emotional issue, especially when children are involved and we we insist that the children are not placed in the middle of a contentious divorce.

The most common reasons to hire a family law attorney include:

Divorce: Each partner hires their own attorney, who will help devise a settlement plan in order to avoid a trial. Divorce attorneys typically are skilled at dividing marital property, calculating spousal support, and proposing a plan for child custody, visitation, and support (if applicable).

Timesharing/Parental Responsibility/Child Custody & Support: Court orders and settlement agreements involving these issues usually are included in the larger divorce case, but may be revisited as conditions change. For instance, child support may be altered after the non-custodial parent’s financial situation changes.

Paternity: In most cases, paternity cases are filed by the mother in an effort to secure child support payments from an absent father. But sometimes biological fathers file for paternity in order to have a relationship with their child. Paternity typically is determined through DNA testing.