Divorce lawyers handle a wide variety of family law issues, including divorces, marriage annulments and legal separations. These cases involve important decisions about the future of children and finances.

Splitting Assets

Property division is a critical part of any divorce. It can be as simple as dividing the family home or as complex as figuring out what to do with real estate, business assets and retirement accounts.

A good Family lawyer near me will help you understand the legal standards for determining which assets are marital and what is separate, so that you can build a strong case to get what you deserve in a property division settlement.

Sydney follows the rule of equitable distribution, which means that your marital property will be divided according to the court's opinion of what is fair under the circumstances. This is especially true for retirement benefits.

Child Custody

Child custody is a complex issue that can result in contentious legal battles between divorcing parents. The outcome of these cases depends on a variety of factors, including each parent's work schedule and housing arrangements.

In determining which parent will get custody of a child, courts typically focus on what's in the best interests of the children. They will take into account their age and any other factors they feel are relevant.

For example, one factor many courts consider is whether the parent will foster a healthy relationship with the child. This is particularly important if the child is younger and they don't have a strong bond with either parent yet.

Another element judges often consider is each parent's ability to provide for their child. This includes ensuring they have enough food, clothing, and medical care. If a parent does not contribute to these expenses, the court may decide that it is not in the child's best interest to have that parent spend time with them.

Family Debt

Divorce lawyers often have to look at debts that a spouse may have incurred during the marriage to determine how they should be divided. This includes both marital and non-marital debts.

For example, if one spouse has a credit card that was used to pay for an affair during the marriage, that debt will likely still be considered marital. The judge will then allocate responsibility for that debt accordingly.

Medical debts incurred during the marriage are also factored into how the couple's assets and liabilities are divided. This includes medical bills that are necessary for a child's health or an emergency situation.

The laws pertaining to family debt vary from state to state. Some states follow an equitable distribution formula, which means that a judge will divide debts based on how the spouses are able to pay them off. Others follow community property law, which means that all debts are split 50/50 during divorce.

Spousal Support

Whether you are the payor or the recipient of spousal support, you have the right to ask the court for a change to your payments. This request must be made when a significant change has occurred in your life.

For example, you may lose your job or get injured and become unable to work. This could result in a reduction in your alimony.

Your attorney can help you create a petition to the court that shows why this is the case.

You can also get your spousal support terminated by showing the court that a condition exists which would automatically end your alimony, or that it is causing you hardship or unfair treatment.

You can ask the court for a termination of permanent spousal support if you decide to remarry or cohabitate with another person, or if you die. This does not happen automatically, though, so it is important to seek legal advice from an experienced spousal support attorney.