Serving Sea Bright, NJ, With Decades Of Experience In Family Law

How To Know If Your Case Falls Under Family Law

While speaking directly with a family lawyer is ultimately the best way to determine if your case is considered family law, the following information serves as a basic litmus test as to whether or not your case would fall under the most common types of family law. We also want to help you understand some of the basics you may find yourself dealing with in the near future.

As the name suggests, family law involves things related to family matters. Although this varies by each particular jurisdiction, in general, this includes:

Marriage

Your case may fall under this even if you are not married since civil unions and other domestic partnerships can be handled similarly to marriages.

State law regulates several things related to marriage, such as entering and exiting these relationships, i.e., legally recognizing a marriage and administering a divorce.

Entering a marriage typically is less legally demanding than exiting one – divorce can quickly devolve into a nightmare. There are many rules, norms, and exceptions to the process you are likely unaware of that can substantially impact the outcome of your case. A divorce lawyer can significantly help you if you are moving in that direction. This is all the more true if children are involved. Between developing solid arguments for child custody, visitation, or financial support, a child support attorney may prove to be a necessity for you.

Domestic violence cases can also fall under this family law category if your spouse or partner commits domestic violence against you. Our hearts go out to you if you are caught in an abusive relationship and are the victim of domestic violence. You should not feel ashamed if you are a victim. Silence the voice that may be telling you not to speak out and contact our domestic violence lawyer immediately.

Adoption

Adoption is the process of legally becoming the parent(s) of a child. The type of adoption you likely think of when hearing "adoption" is called "individual adoption." This is when you take full, legal custody of a child from its natural parents as someone who is not at all related to the child. However, there are also relative adoptions and stepparent adoptions. These types of adoptions are typically more streamlined, given the nature of the relationships the two parties already have established before initiating the adoption.

Establishing paternity, another aspect of family law, may stem from going through with an adoption. This is when you legally become the father of a child. However, paternity is not limited to adoption. Establishing it is necessary for instances where a man is a child's father but was not legally recognized as such at the time of his child's birth for whatever reason. We can help fill in the gaps where necessary if you need to establish paternity.

Child Protection

Although it may seem like domestic abuse, domestic violence generally refers to violence committed against partners. There is a distinct department of government in New Jersey dedicated to child protection, which typically encompasses abuse against children by parents or guardians. Like with domestic abuse victims, our hearts go out to children in these unjust circumstances and fight to ensure justice is served.

We Want To Help You Today

If you are in Sea Bright, NJ, and need legal advice or representation for your family law matter, call us today. Paul N. Mirabelli, Esq. cares about your specific needs and wants to bring you the legal resolution you deserve and need.