Family Law
Family Law Attorney in Murfreesboro, TN
What Is Family Law?
Family law is a legal practice area that deals with issues related to family relationships, such as divorce, child custody, adoption, spousal support, and domestic violence. It encompasses a wide range of legal matters that involve family members and can often be emotionally charged. Due to the personal nature of family law, choosing a team you trust is essential.
Common Examples of Family Law
Divorce and Legal Separation
Family law governs the legal aspects of marriage and its dissolution. This includes issues such as divorce, annulment, legal separation, and the division of marital property. Separation from a spouse can be an emotional, confusing, and challenging experience. The team of legal experts at Hudson, Reed & Christiansen provides professional consultation and support to help make this process as simple and smooth as possible.
Child Custody, Visitation, and Parenting Responsibilities
When parents with minor children separate or divorce, the parties must enter into a formal parenting plan to be filed with the court. This involves determining where the children will live, visitation schedules, and legal decision-making authority. While both parents contribute to the development of the parenting plan, the court will step in to make a ruling when the parents cannot agree. Choosing a lawyer who will listen to your particular concerns, especially regarding sensitive topics such as child custody, is essential.
Child Support
Family law also addresses parents’ financial responsibilities regarding child support. This includes determining child support amounts and, if necessary, enforcing payment.
Spousal Support (Alimony)
In some divorce cases, particularly when one spouse makes substantially more money than the other, one spouse will ask for alimony (also known as spousal support or spousal maintenance). Alimony is the court-ordered payment of money by one spouse to the other after the dissolution of marriage for a set period of time. The experienced family law attorneys at Hudson, Reed & Christinsen can help you navigate this process to protect your rights and assets.
Adoption
The legal process of adopting a child is another aspect of family law. It ensures that the necessary legal steps are taken to establish a legal parent-child relationship between the adoptive parents and the child. Adoption can be nuanced and complicated depending on the situation, especially if multiple parties are involved. Hudson, Reed & Christiansen will help guide you through this process.
Domestic Violence and Orders of Protection
Another aspect of family law involves obtaining orders of protection to keep distance between an allegedly abusive person and his or her victim.
Family Law Mediation
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution where a neutral third party, the mediator, facilitates communication and negotiation between the parties to help them reach a mutually acceptable resolution. Mediation is typically voluntary, and family law encourages parties to consider mediation as an option for resolving their disputes. Courts may even require or strongly recommend mediation, especially in matters like divorce, child custody, and visitation.
Mediation can often reduce conflict by fostering communication and cooperation between the parties. Family law matters can be time-consuming and costly if the parties cannot reach an agreement. Mediation is often quicker and less expensive than going to trial, which can save both time and money for the parties involved.