Divorce, Child Support, Child Custody, and Alimony (also called spousal Maintenance) are daunting cases for everyone who has to face them. The stress and anxiety that comes with these cases are enough to make you feel defeated before you even begin. Families do have issues, and some are severe enough to require the help of a legal professional. Divorce and custody disputes are not as simple as you may think as there can be risks that can be associated with proceeding family law cases without an attorney. Many people do not hire a family attorney just to save money or due to the assumption that they can handle such a case themselves.
Here is a summary of the reasons why working with a legal professional in a family law case is in your best interest.
Legal Advocacy and Protection:
A family lawyer is well aware of the family laws and the outcomes of similar past cases. Therefore, he can use his that knowledge and experience to get the best possible outcomes for you. He knows to present your case in the court so that the judge will see your side. Of course, you do not have any experience or legal knowledge to fall back on. Especially if the other party is represented by an attorney, it’s easier to take advantage of the lack of legal knowledge. A family attorney guides you about realistic and unrealistic threats, and how to protect your rights.
Proper Filing of Paperwork:
Numerous documents need to be filed and signed during a family law case such as divorce. If you do not have any law experience, you become overwhelmed while trying to make sure every document is submitted properly. The judge has the option to exclude any or all of the documents that are not drafted correctly. By hiring a family lawyer Toronto, you can rest assured that your paperwork is done properly, including drafting, filing, and submitting documents while meeting the time restrictions.
Settle the Child Custody Dispute:
The most complex and stressful part of a divorce case is the war between the divorcing parents to have sole physical custody of their kids. A family attorney will work in your best interests to meet your desire of having sole guardianship right. Generally, the family courts allow shared custody while legal custody may be mutual or sole. Therefore, it’s recommended for couples not to be arrogant on custody issues because there is no way you can achieve the sole custody of your children unless there is solid evidence to prove that the counterparty is unfit to have custody right, e.g. mental illness, addiction, or abusiveness. Your efforts to prove your supremacy of being the best parent for your child’s development and safety and can go against your interest and a lawyer is the one who guides you regarding these potential consequences.
Make Your Spouse Pay Spousal/Child Support:
The issues regarding violation of divorce agreement such as skipping, stopping or denial to pay child support money are common among ex-spouses. Child or Spousal support is the maintenance money an obliged parent has to pay the ex-spouse as per instruction of the court. A family lawyer can help you to resolve the issue if the other parent is not paying the child support money. If you are the obliged person and not able to pay the money due to a financial loss, a family lawyer will help to apply for lessening the support money.