what to be aware of when divorcing your spouse
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what to be aware of when divorcing your spouse

Every marriage is not meant to last forever. No matter what the reasoning behind the divorce, it is important to have legal representation for each side. I almost lost everything because my former spouse said that he was taking care of things and that he would be fair about how the assets were divided. It took several weeks for me to find out what he was up to. It was then that I hired my own attorney and got what I deserved. You should never attempt to go through a divorce without a lawyer working on your side. On my site, I have listed several of the issues that can get overlooked if you are inexperienced with divorce documents and proceedings.

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what to be aware of when divorcing your spouse

Beyond Divorce: Three Types Of Cases For Which A Family Lawyer Provides Representation

Joy Johnson

When you think of a family lawyer, you probably think about divorce and child custody. While this is certainly true, family lawyers can and often do provide representation for other types of cases between family members or for special needs family members. Here are some of the other types of cases that a family lawyer can represent, if you have need of these services.

Guardianship over Adults and Children

If you are a relative that would like to take custody of children related to you (e.g., grandchildren or nieces and nephews), a family lawyer is the right lawyer to see. If you want guardianship over an adult family member that either has special needs and cannot make decisions for him/herself or has advanced stages of dementia, then a family lawyer can handle that as well. In any sort of case where you want to take guardianship over another human being, you would seek out the services and council of a family lawyer.

Competency Hearings for Adults and Children

Before anyone can take guardianship of another human being, especially another adult, it may be necessary to determine a person's competency, or ability to choose and make safe, rational and/or healthy decisions for oneself. If you are attempting to revoke a guardianship over you or take guardianship over someone else, you will have to hire a lawyer for a competency hearing.

Children who are legally old enough to make a decision about which parent or guardian they would like to live with may also have to go through a competency hearing to determine if they are able and capable of making such decisions. Children with moderate to severe special needs usually are not able to do this, but a hearing may be required for any child that has special needs, regardless of severity. 

Adoption Services for Adults and Children

As odd as it may sound, there are cases whereby an adult may adopt another, younger adult. In these cases, the young adult is an orphan and has been for many years. Because the orphaned young adult was not adopted when he or she was younger, he or she has no family to speak of. When these young adults find families for the first time after they have obtained the age of 18, then the families can still legally adopt the young adults. Family lawyers help with these cases in addition to adoption services for children under the age of 18.


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