What are the responsibilities of a Family Lawyer?

The Iowa Law Group understands that family law issues of all kinds can be emotional issues. Whether you are dealing with divorce, child support, child support, or other legal issues, the consequences of the issue can have a significant impact on you and your child. That’s why when the need arises for a skilled and compassionate family lawyer Des Moines, IA residents trust our firm, the Law Group of Iowa, to defend and protect the best interests of the family.

What are the responsibilities of a Family Lawyer?

Divorce

To apply for divorce, spouses usually need to meet the residence requirements of the state and county in which they live. They also need to establish a basis for divorce. Iowa recognizes the concept of “no-fault divorce.” This means that the reason can be as simple as an irreconcilable difference, or that the marriage has collapsed and cannot be repaired. Our experienced family lawyers have a thorough knowledge of Iowa divorce statutes – we will work to create an individualized plan to help you and your family through every step of the divorce process.

Child Custody

If a couple has minor children, the division of parental rights and responsibilities is usually an important issue in their divorce. Custody traditionally has consisted of two components: physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody is the amount of time that the child lives with each parent, while legal custody is the authority of each parent to make major decisions affecting the child’s upbringing. Our experienced family lawyers have a thorough knowledge of Iowa child custody statutes – we will work to create an individualized plan to help you and your family through every step process that is in the best interest of your child or children.

Child Support

If a child is financially dependent on a parent, the parent has an obligation to support the child. This obligation usually extends until the child becomes an adult, but it can extend further in some cases if the child has special needs or has not graduated from high school. In most cases, the parent who spends less time with the child will have to pay child support to the parent who spends more time with the child. A family lawyer can help with the process of payment modification by helping to show that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred.

Alimony

If your spouse’s income potential is dramatically different, your marriage was relatively long, your low-income spouse depends on your high-income spouse, and you are accustomed to a higher standard of living, then alimony, or spousal support may be appropriate. A family lawyer can also assist with the process of terminating alimony, if for example, the recipient spouse remarries or cohabits with a partner and is no longer eligible for financial support.

Property Division

The first step in property division involves determining which assets are marital property and which assets are independent property. If marital property is mixed with separate property, or the value of separate property increases during the marriage, determining the characteristics of the asset can be complicated. An experienced family lawyer will be able to aid in evaluating the various assets and help work towards an amicable property division agreement.

Adoption

Adoption involves the process of assuming the legal rights and responsibilities of the parent towards a child. It may involve the termination of the biological parent’s existing rights, or the biological parent may have already agreed to terminate his or her rights.

These are the most frequent reasons a family seeks family law legal counsel. When the need arises for a skilled and compassionate family lawyer, Des Moines, Iowa residents trust our firm, the Law Group of Iowa, to defend and protect the best interests of the family.