· Find four or five reputable lawyers that you want to talk to about your situation. Remember, this is their job interview. Make sure you get all the information you need to …
So you may expect to pay as low as $1,000 or over $5,000. But if you have a more complicated case, like a parent refusing to share physical custody to the point of parental kidnapping. The …
Child custody refers to a situation in which a parent (or parents in cases where there is joint legal or physical custody) is charged with the responsibility of raising and protecting their child. …
· When you’re looking for the best child custody lawyer, the first thing you need to check is their experience. Choosing a lawyer that has experience will give you the confidence …
Another important step to take is to check out your lawyer's California State Bar profile at www.calbar.org. From this, you can determine whether or not your Attorney has had any disciplinary actions.
Next, with respect to Child Custody, you want to make sure that you make whatever your position is clear. That means you need to know what kind of custody you would like of your children. The first thing you should know is that in California, we break down custody into two types: "Legal Custody" and "Physical Custody".
The first is "Legal Custody", this means who has the right to make legal decisions for the child/children such as where to go to school, the doctor, or where to worship, etc.
The second type of Custody is "Physical Custody", and this is essentially where the child resides. Of course each child, and each family is different, so you will need to decide what sort of custody is in the best interests of your children. The "best interests of the children" is the standard in family law by which the Court makes its decisions.
Finally, you want to work with an Attorney you get along with. In family law court, a Judge rather than a Jury decides the issues, so an Attorney who really lays on the theatrics is not as important as having an Attorney who is articulate and effective.
Ask your questions or add your comments below; we would love to hear them.
4. Choose a Local Attorney 1 It’s much easier to meet without having to take a whole day off work or travel a great distance. 2 Local representation may also make an attorney easier to vet—perhaps a friend can refer you or the regional bar association has recommendations. 3 Attorneys operating in a specific geographical area may also have established relationships with judges and courthouse staff that can prove beneficial.
They also may need to communicate with people that work outside of family law, like accountants, Skills in this area are understandably important.
The best match for one person’s personality and circumstances may not be quite as perfect for another. While there’s no universal roadmap to finding the best child custody lawyer, there are qualities to consider in your search.
Hiring an attorney tends to be quite expensive . Considering your financial resources, what you can and can’t spend, is important in determining the best child custody lawyer for you. Knowing up front how an attorney handles billing helps you manage expenses and keep a realistic expectation of the cost.
A child custody lawyer can help you negotiate custody, either by agreement or in court. The custodial parent (the one the child lives with) earns the legal right to make decisions regarding the child's lifestyle, welfare, and education.
A lawyer experienced in child custody cases can help you get the custody arrangement that's in the best interests of your child. If you're going through a divorce and you have children, you and your spouse must work out a parenting plan that sets out custody and the frequency of visitation.
Some parents opt for joint custody, which means children divide their time between both parents' homes, and parents share the right to make decisions on behalf of the children. If you as parents are unable to agree on child custody, a judge will decide for you.
An experienced lawyer can assist a client with making a modification to the custody agreement, which will also ensure that the person does not violate any conditions of the agreement. Other complex issues that child custody lawyers deal with, are legal situations that involve international or interstate custody disputes.
This is an important point, because having an unbiased representative negotiate and advocate for you, while staying level-headed is a valuable attribute for a successful agreement.
Now more than ever, custody issues are being resolved through the use of parenting agreements that are made binding by the court. Life happens, and sometimes these agreements need to be modified in order to accommodate changing schedules, home locations, or other issues that may present while the child is a minor.
Missing an important court appearance, or not filing paperwork in time can cause serious problems for an individual, and having an attorney handle the details provides a peace of mind that is essential when coping with child custody.
Another key factor in the job description of what child custody lawyers do, is that they represent their clients in court. Most people are unaware of the laws pertaining to their child custody case, but an experienced lawyer knows and will fight for a reasonable outcome for their client. Because emotions can run high in custody cases, ...
The area of family law encompasses a wide variety of issues, including but not limited to: child custody, divorce, spousal support, child visitation, child support, and paternity. Many of the practice areas in family law are related to one another, and experienced family law attorneys are well-versed in representing clients with multiple needs.
So you may expect to pay as low as $1,000 or over $5,000.
Before hiring a lawyer, you need to know what you want to get out of your case. This will keep you from blindly hiring a lawyer that doesn’t have your or your childrens’ best interests at heart.
One of the best ways to find professionals to work with is to ask for references from your family and friends. This gives you the ability to learn more about the lawyer’s work before speaking with them.
Having a budget beforehand will give the lawyer an idea of what they’re working with. It also gives you an idea of where to start searching for a lawyer rather than wasting time setting up a consultation with a lawyer who is outside of your price range.
A good lawyer will welcome your questions, so don’t be afraid to ask. In fact, most lawyers got where they are today by asking tough questions. You can ask anything you’d like, but here are a few questions to get you started.
If you’re looking for the best child custody lawyer for your needs, we will be happy to answer your questions and help you make the right choice. Call us at 209-910-9865 to schedule your consultation with an attorney today.
Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.
Many sites, including Nolo.com, offer a way to connect with local lawyers based on your location and the type of legal case you have. You answer a few questions about your case and your contact information, then the right type of lawyers contact you directly. Talk to a local lawyer.
Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.
A better approach is to talk to people in your community who have experienced the same problem you face -- for example, if you have a claim of sexual harassment, talk to a women's group. Ask them who their lawyers were and what they think of them. If you talk to half a dozen people who have had a similar legal problem, chances are you'll come away with several good leads.
Lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates -- $150 to $450 an hour -- you'd quickly empty your bank account.
A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.
Fortunately, many lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own. If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a lawyer only for advice, make sure the lawyer is open to that type of set-up.