Divorce attorneys are legal professionals who specialize in issues related to legal separation, such as divorce, annulment, and dissolution. Most of them are family law experts who focus on different issues related to family and marriage, such as adoptions and wills. Couples going through the legal separation process are advised to retain an attorney who is very knowledgeable about this procedure in order to protect their legal rights and possibly reach an amicable settlement.
People who aspire to become divorce attorneys must go to law school and take family law courses during the course of their studies. In addition, they must meet the criteria to practice law by passing the bar exam. Bar exams typically consist of a written test and a character assessment to ensure candidates are morally fit to practice law. Once eligible, attorneys can seek a job with a practice that handles family law matters so they can gain the experience they need in this field of study.
The main duty of a divorce attorney is to process the divorce papers after being hired by any of the parties involved in the divorce. There are some cases where a couple agrees to divorce and in this situation they may jointly go to a particular lawyer for legal advice and assistance. However, in a contested divorce, the attorney is consulted by only one party. After the party filing for divorce writes and signs the petition, it can now be served on the other spouse.
One of the main aspects of this area of expertise is the arbitration of a settlement, if a couple makes the decision to dissolve their marriage. The agreement will include alimony agreement, property division, child custody discussions, and child support. Divorce attorneys may also implement a prenuptial agreement or may be involved in other divorce stipulations. For example, if a couple stored fertilized embryos as a result of infertility treatment, the divorce attorney for each party should be involved in any decisions related to these embryos.
When it comes to a contentious divorce, divorce lawyers can represent their clients in court and especially in specialized family courts that handle family-related matters such as child custody and adoption. They may also deal with other matters, such as prenuptial agreements and post-divorce matters. Many couples believe that a firm prenuptial agreement leads to an easier and less expensive divorce process. Any good divorce attorney can prepare a prenuptial agreement to protect all of their client’s assets prior to their marriage. Additionally, your attorney may be called upon to respond to post-divorce inquiries. As an example, a client may ask how to amend a divorce decree, when she will be allowed to change her name, and how to change alimony or child support payments.