Family Law
The most emotionally charged areas of law involve Family Law related disputes. Whether it be a custody matter, divorce proceeding, or other Family Law issue, Northwest Legal can assist you in all aspects of your Family Law matter in a compassionate and caring way. Family Law issues include, but are not limited to: Prenuptial Agreements, Uncontested Divorce, Litigated Divorce, Legal Separation, Child Custody and/or Visitation, Paternity, Child Support, Spousal Support and Property Division. Mr. Streed has devoted the bulk of his thirty-plus year legal career to Family Law matters and as such, his knowledge of the law in these areas is extensive.
TYPES OF REPRESENTATION
{Tailored to fit your needs}
Traditional Attorney-Client Representation
This type of representation occurs when the attorney and the client enter into an agreement for legal representation throughout the duration of their legal matter. All aspects of your legal matter, including communications, document preparation, court filing and communication with the court are handled by Mr. Streed and his NWLRC Staff.
Attorney Directed Paralegal/LLLT Services
Attorney directed paralegal/LLLT services consist of the attorney providing legal advice to the client and direction to the paralegal/LLLT on matters concerning your case. Under the attorney's direction, the paralegal/LLLT drafts all necessary documents and forms required by the courts to handle the legal matter. Within this type of representation, the attorney offers flat fee court appearances on the client's behalf at affordable prices and consultations and legal advice at an hourly rate.
Legal Document Preparation
Legal document preparation services differ from attorney directed paralegal services in that the attorney is not involved in any aspect of your case.
Legal document preparation services cannot, by law, provide legal advice, interpret or define the law or provide the client with direction on how to bring their matter to conclusion. Legal document preparation is provided to the client on a transactional or hourly basis based upon the type of matter and the needs of the client. This is sometimes an affordable alternative to traditional attorney-client representation. Mr. Streed offers a free initial consultation in many of these matters and is available for future consultations at his hourly rate to further assist you throughout your legal matter.
Whichever service is best suited to your particular situation and financial position, rest assured that your legal needs will be met with skillful advice, individualized attention, and professional courtesy.
COMMON FAMILY LAW
DEFINITIONS / ISSUES
Petition: A written document where a party asks the court to make certain orders.
Response: A written document where a party responds to the Petition filed by the other party and requests their own orders from the court.
Types of Petitions and Responses
Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce)
Dissolution of Marriage or, more commonly Divorce actions are the legal process that restores you to the status of a single person. In a divorce action the court will resolve issues regarding custody, visitation, child and spousal support, division of property, attorney fees, and other issues that arise during the divorce process.
Paternity/Parentage Action
This action is the legal process of determining who the legal and/or biological parent of a child. In this action, the court may establish custody, visitation, and child support, and attorney fee orders.
Parenting Plan
This other process with the court will establish orders for custody, visitation, child support and attorney fees. In this action, in most cases, the parties have already agreed or established who the parents are by each parent signing a voluntary declaration of paternity at the hospital.
Legal Custody
Legal Custody determines which parent will make major decisions regarding the health, education, and welfare of the minor children. Day-to-day decision making is normally made during the parenting time of each individual parent.
Physical Custody
Physical Custody is where the child spends their actual physical time with each parent. Physical Custody can be joint, where each parent has approximately one-half of the actual parenting time. Sole/Primary Physical Custody is where one parent has a majority of the actual parenting time and the other party has defined visitation.
Visitation
Visitation occurs when the other party has a majority of the parenting time, and the other party has defined contact with the minor children. One example of a common visitation order is alternate weekends with a mid-week visit, shared holidays, and a defined summer schedule.
Child Support
Child support is the amount each parent is responsible for paying for the support of the minor child. It usually involves the higher wage earner paying the other parent a monthly support amount on a defined day or days per month. Most states have a formula for determining the amount of support each party is responsible for.
Spousal Support/Spousal Maintenance
One party, usually the higher wage earner pays the other party a monthly amount to help the supported party maintain the marital standard of living that existed during the marriage.
Community Property
All property that was acquired during the marriage, from the date of marriage through the date the spouses separated. This includes real property, personal property, and marital debt. The court has the ability to divide/award the community property of the parties on an equal basis.
Separate Property
All property acquired before the date of the marriage or after the date the parties separate. The court does not have the power to divide separate property, but only confirm it to the party who owns it. Generally, any property inherited by one party alone remains their separate property.
Attorney Fees
The amount a client pays the attorney for legal representation. Attorney fees can be hourly, on a flat-fee basis, or a percentage of the recovery, in certain cases. For the most part, the client is responsible for their own attorney’s fees in a matter. The court may award the other party to pay a contributive share of attorney fees in certain circumstances.
Credits/Reimbursements
One party, in certain circumstances, may recover from the other party in a dissolution proceeding, payments made for the acquisition of real property and/or payments made after the date the parties separated.
Temporary Orders
Orders that are made by the court that are temporary in nature, that last until the time of Trial. This can include custody, visitation, support, payment of debt, and other related matters.
Move-Away/Relocation
A process where one party is moving out of the geographical location and in most cases, changing the children’s school. Absent the agreement of the parties, the court requires specific notice and procedures necessary before a party can move with the minor children.