Practice Areas

Divorce

Divorce cases are first and foremost about the lives of the people involved. Because divorce means permanent changes for both spouses and children, there are many questions at the outset: will I be able to support myself, where will I live, where will the children live, how will our debts be paid? Lawler Law Office, PC understands that the outcome of your divorce will affect the quality of your family's lives. We dedicated to helping our clients through the challenges of divorce law with compassionate yet uncompromising representation.

Divorce involves three major areas. First, there are property division issues: Who gets the house, the car, the bank accounts, and other assets. Next, there are the family issues: Who gets custody of the kids and when does the other parent get visitation? Who pays how much child support and/or alimony? Finally, there are the emotional issues that only you can address.

Lawler Law Office, PC can help you resolve the first two issues as quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible, allowing you to focus on a brighter future ahead.

We will work diligently on your behalf to negotiate a fair divorce settlement, but we won’t allow your former spouse to take advantage of you. If disputes cannot be resolved amicably, we will pursue the matter in court.

In divorce, as in all areas of our law practice, our attorneys listen carefully to your concerns and clearly explain the laws, the legal issues, and the options available to you. We will outline the best and worst possible scenarios and then let you make an informed decision about how to proceed. We find clients feel more satisfied with the results of their divorce and better equipped to face the future when they understand and feel part of the divorce process.

Step Parent Adoption

Perhaps the most common form of adoption is step-parent adoption. In this proceeding after a divorce or a paternity determination, a parent agrees to terminate his or her parental rights in order to allow a child to be adopted by the other parent and his or her new spouse. If done through agreement, this can work well for all. Without agreement, things may be more difficult. Because the right to parent is a fundamental right under U.S. law, terminating that right involuntarily requires a high standard. Agreements such as these are important legal decisions where the help of adoption lawyers may be very beneficial.

Child Custody

Child custody is perhaps the most important issue for parties in a divorce. However, the term "custody" is often mistaken to mean "exclusive custody". A parent who is named in a parenting plan as the custodial parent is simply the parent with whom the child(ren) reside the majority of the time. The non-custodial parent retains his or her rights under the parenting plan, including visitation and decision making, regardless of custodial designations.  Additionally, the laws regarding custody and visitation, including definitions of those terms or new terms, are changing all the time. 

Child Support Modifications

Child support may be periodically adjusted to account for changes in circumstances between the parties in a child support modification action. Child support obligations may be modified based on a number of factors including the age of the child(ren), changes in residential schedule, a child wishing to attend college after high school, or changes in the income of one or both parties.

Parenting Plan Modifications

Parenting plan modification actions are brought after a final order has been established in a family law case, such as a divorce or paternity. One or both parties may request a modification of the final parenting plan on a variety of issues, including changes to the residential schedule, decision making, holiday or special occasion schedules, transportation arrangements, or restrictions on the visitation of one of the parents.

Paternity

A paternity action is brought when the parents of a child are not married in order to establish paternity, custody, parenting plan, and child support. Paternity actions can involve an agreement between the parties as to who is the child's biological father, or they can involve blood testing. Sometimes a birth certificate can be amended to name a father once that has been established. At the end of a paternity action a declaration of parentage will be entered by the court once all the facts have been established. A parenting plan that is fair and is in the child's best interest will be entered by the court.

Custody Parenting Plan

Both parents of a child have a right to visitation and to be a parent to the child just like any other parent, regardless of where the child lives.  Lawler Law Office, PC staff know paternity suits can be some of the more emotionally challenging cases, as parents have the responsibility of a child, but are in an uncertain relationship.  We understand how to guide our clients through this process and to seek the best interest of the child.

 Wills, Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directives

You may remember news reports of legal fights over an incapacitated person's "right to die".  While many do not wish to consider such unpleasant things, there are many issues that may arise if one becomes incapacitated that could be resolved with proper advanced planning.  If tragedy should strike, do your loved ones know your wishes?
Proper estate planning may include advance medical directives, creating a power of attorney, or the drafting of a will.  I can assist you with properly drafting any of these documents to conform to your wishes.