Perhaps the most emotionally charged issues in life are those connected with marriage and children. At Vanegas Law Group, we approach your family law matter compassionately. Our experienced family law attorneys provide mediation and litigation services in all areas of family law, including legal separation, divorce, child custody, parenting time, child support, spousal support, property, and asset division. We also have experience with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Family law issues can create chaos in your life and your loved ones’ lives. Our goal is to guide you through that chaos and minimize the emotional and financial impact of your legal proceeding. Contact our family law attorneys at Vanegas Law Group today to discuss your questions.
Where Our Family Law Attorneys Can Help
The family law attorneys at Vanegas Law Group understand the stress and chaos a disruption in your marriage or family unit, and we offer our clients compassion and problem-solving solutions for a wide range of issues, including:
- Mediation/Collaborative Divorce
- Dissolution of Marriage
- Custody/Parenting Time
- Domestic Violence
- Paternity
- Step-Parent Adoptions
- Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements
Mediation/Collaborative Divorce
You have a choice in how you carry out your divorce. Our goal is always to guide you so your divorce is respectful and amicable, where you cooperate with each other to ensure what happens to the family and the finances of the family are in everyone’s best interest. Mediation and collaborative divorce proceedings are out-of-court solutions that allow you to never leave an outcome to chance.
In mediation, the clients work with an impartial and trained mediator to resolve a dispute. The goal of mediation is to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The clients do not have an attorney present in the room during the mediation process, but can work with an attorney to prepare for mediation and review any agreement that is reached.
In collaborative divorce proceedings, the clients work with a team of professionals to create an agreement on how issues such as custody, support, and division of assets will be resolved. From the beginning, the clients and their attorneys agree that all communications made during the collaborative process will remain confidential. Clients work with their attorneys and support professionals, such as accountants, child specialists, communication coaches, and other professionals as needed to resolve all issues. Decisions are made by the clients without going to court or involving a judge. If any issue cannot be settled in the collaborative process then the attorneys and other professionals must withdraw but any issue that was resolved can be reduced to a written agreement to limit the questions to be decided by a judge.
Dissolution of Marriage
The breakdown of a marriage is often complex and time-consuming. In listening to your story, we provide advice on the best way forward in this process. Legal separation, where you remain legally married but there are orders for child custody and parenting time, child and/or spousal support, and separation of finances, might be in your best interest. A dissolution of marriage, where in the end you are divorced with orders for child custody and parenting time, support, and division of property, might be in your best interest, as well.
Custody/Parenting Time
Often the most emotionally charged decisions that must be made in a family law matter are custody and parenting time. Our team recognizes a drawn-out divorce can be devastating for the children and the parents. Our decades of experience in the child welfare system allows us to offer compassionate legal services to guide you through these extremely important decisions.
Additionally, custody and parenting time needs can change. Children get older, extracurricular activities can alter everything, or a parent may need to move away for a job or education opportunity. Modifying a custody or parenting time order can feel like you are starting all over from the beginning. You need an experienced attorney to guide you through your options as there are things that can be done months in advance of asking for a modification.
Domestic Violence
There is no typical domestic violence situation. Being accused of domestic violence can automatically limit your parenting time. Being a victim of domestic violence can cause the Child Protective Services to become involved in your family. Our team’s experience in dependency law and criminal defense makes us uniquely prepared to handle any issue involving domestic violence and provide you with the advice meant to optimize your parenting time.
Paternity
Establishing biological fatherhood is always the first step, but it is not always as easy as it sounds. Once you have established biological fatherhood then issues of child support, custody, and parenting time must be dealt with.
Step-Parent Adoptions
If you are the only biological parent involved in the care and upbringing of your child and you remarry, the new spouse may be interested in becoming the legal parent of your child. This could be a win-win situation for your child, as this adoption could provide more financial, legal, and emotional support to your child. The refusal of the other parent to agree to a step-parent adoption is not the end of the case. We can be instrumental in showing the court the other parent failed to pay support or has not maintained a relationship with your child. We can also assist in a case where paternity has not been established.
We can also vigorously help you contest an adoption. If you are the parent who does not consent to step-parent adoption, we will assist you in contesting the petition to terminate your parental rights by proving that you should remain your child’s legal parent. Contact our experienced family law attorneys today.
Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements
As a community property state, a prenuptial (pre-marital) agreement may be a smart choice. A prenuptial agreement is a contract between two people about to marry that detail how assets will be distributed to children, extended family members, or friends and amongst the spouses in the event of divorce or death. A prenuptial agreement can help you protect the assets you are bringing into the marriage and plan for the unexpected. Prenuptial agreements are often considered by individuals who own businesses, or other valuable property, who are giving up a career to support the marriage or children or are getting married for a second time.
Much like a prenuptial, a postnuptial agreement is created to protect assets in the event of a divorce. A postnuptial is a contract drafted after a couple is married. In some cases, a postnuptial agreement is drafted when spouses are going through marital problems but would be willing to work it out if they felt their assets were protected. It is also common to enter into a postnuptial agreement when one party to the marriage is starting a business and wishes to protect all the hard work, time, and effort that goes into starting a new company.
The most common question about a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is “but doesn’t drafting this agreement mean I think our marriage will fail?” These documents are not meant to ensure a divorce, these documents are meant to be the peace of mind that things like life insurance, supplemental health insurance, or umbrella insurance offer. In a perfect world, you will never need to use your supplemental health insurance, but if you do find yourself needing it, then you have peace of mind knowing you are protected. It is the same with a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. If you gave up your career, or the pursuit of a career, to support the marriage or to raise children, then a prenuptial agreement is that peace of mind that you are protected in the future if necessary.
A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement must be drafted with very close attention to the goals, needs, and circumstances of our client. It is crucial to consult with an attorney experienced in drafting and defending prenuptial and postnuptial agreements to explore your options.
Contact Our Family Law Attorneys
Our experienced family law attorneys from Vanegas Law Group are here to help with your legal questions. We’re here to stand by your side and help you reach your goals for your family law case. Contact us today.
