Family Law Attorney in Brunswick, GA
Family law issues are among the most stressful and emotionally taxing of any area of law. Long after a divorce is over, problems surrounding custody, support, and other important matters can arise. The ongoing nature of these issues can make it feel like your case is never really finished. More than ever, this is a time when you need sound counsel from a trusted, compassionate family law attorney.
Helping Clients Reach Their Goals
Many family lawyers advertise themselves as aggressive advocates that “fight” for their clients. In family law, however, “fighting” is rarely the best approach. Because these cases involve important relationships between real people, you need an attorney who recognizes the importance of achieving goals while preserving peace. Long after your lawyer leaves the courtroom, you must go home and live with the consequences of your case. And while I always represent my clients with a zealous commitment to their case, I understand that family law matters are best served by a legal representative who truly cares about the people behind the paperwork.
A Full Service Family Law Practice
My family law practice includes a comprehensive menu of services. In addition to divorce attorney services, I also help clients in a variety of pre-litigation and post-decree matters.
Child Custody, Child Support and Alimony Modifications
As time passes, the needs of parents and children are apt to change. It is common for families to undergo critical changes that make it appropriate to modify custody, support, or alimony obligations. Children get older and become involved in more activities; jobs are gained or lost; economic circumstances or living arrangements change. One or both parents might need to petition the court for a change in visitation or custody arrangements because of their own circumstances. In other situations, certain events cause a parent to question the other person’s ability to care for a child responsibly or whether their income level justifies an increase in support.
Paternity and Legitimation
When a married couple in Georgia has a child together, paternity is rarely an issue. This is because the law says that if a couple was legally married, the husband is assumed to be the baby’s father.
But when unmarried people have a child, they must take certain steps to ensure that a legal father is named for the child. This process is known as “paternity.” Parents can also take additional steps to ensure financial support and shared custody rights. Unless the parents take these formal steps, even the most loving father-child relationship will not have the same legal status as the relationship between a child and parents who are married.
It’s very important for unmarried parents to understand that before paternity is established, the child’s birth mother has all legal rights and custody to the child. Unless the father goes through an additional process known as legitimation, he will not have any rights to his child. He must obtain a court order granting him custody and visitation rights.
I would highly recommend Alan Welch. I first worked with him to resolve a domestic issue. He was my 3rd attorney, and was able to resolve the case in about 30 days. He made the other attorney, a state’s attorney, look like a novice! With his help, I won my case in record time at a reasonable cost. He also did a fantastic job with my real estate transaction. His team did their homework before we got to the closing table. There were no surprises, and it was a seamless experience!
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Parental Relocation
Family, remarriage, and career opportunities are all reasons why an individual must relocate to a new city. If you have children, however, you must confront difficult issues, such as how your ex will exercise parenting time. I have represented parents on both sides of these cases, which gives me special insight into the emotional turmoil that often accompanies relocation.
Protective Orders
There are a variety of protective orders available in domestic relations cases. Individuals worried about their spouse draining marital assets while the divorce is pending can petition the court for restraining orders that prevent the other person from depleting accounts.
Temporary protective orders are also issued to stop abusive spouses from stalking, harassing, or otherwise bothering the other person. These issues are very real in the state of Georgia, which has one of the highest spousal abuse rates in the nation. If you are the victim of spousal abuse, whether emotional or physical, it is critical to seek legal assistance right away. Studies have shown that violence escalates once a battered spouse attempts to end the marriage. If you have been harmed in your marriage, you do not have to suffer in silence. Your safety and well-being are too important to leave to chance.
Trusted Representation
I have served Georgia families for over 20 years. If you have a family law matter that requires the skill and knowledge of a trusted family attorney, call me for help at (912) 265-9811.