When going through a divorce, many find that the process is often muddled with various legal steps they know nothing about. Finding the appropriate New York divorce help is crucial to those going through a divorce, as an experienced family law attorney has assisted many people in making the process much smoother for themselves. An attorney may offer advice regarding when and where to file, how to best protect one's assets and/or rights and how to reach a fair settlement. Speaking with a qualified family law attorney is important in having one's questions and concerns addressed, and many law firms offer free consultations.
A New York family law attorney may offer advice to those who believe their spouse will file for divorce in another state. The travel expenses one may rack up in this case can be extremely costly. An attorney may best advise their client on how to handle such a situation or how to avoid this scenario all together. Having a qualified legal representative by their side has allowed many people to protect their rights and themselves while going through divorce proceedings. As many people are on a budget when getting divorced, many law offices will discuss their client's budget in reaching a workable plan.
There are several issues that frequently arise in a divorce. Assistance through this process is crucial in many cases to reaching a fair settlement that respects the wishes of both parties. Issues such as child custody, child support, spousal support and dividing a couple's assets are often prominent in discussing a divorce agreement. With experienced and knowledgeable representation, many people have successfully avoided being taken advantage of by a former spouse. As each state has different laws regarding divorce, child support and other issues common in a divorce case, it is important to seek divorce help from a New York family law attorney experienced in the state.
Eric Gansberg is a family law attorneyis located on Staten Island, New York, and represents men and women with divorce, child support and family law throughout the New York City area, including Staten Island, Annadale, Arden Heights, Bay Terrace, Dongan Hills, Eltingville, Emerson Hill, Fort Wadsworth, Graniteville, Grant City, Grasmere, Great Kills, Greenridge, Grymes Hill, Heartland Village, Huguenot, Lighthouse Hill, Midland Beach, New Dorp, New Springville, Oakwood, Old Town NY, Pleasant Plains, Prince's Bay, Randall Manor, Richmond Valley Richmondtown, Rosebank, Rossville, Shore Acres, Silver Lake, South Beach, St. George, Tottenville Beach, Ward Hill, Westerleigh, Willowbrook, Woodrow, other areas of Staten Island, New York City, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Long Island, Suffolk County, Nassau County, Westchester County, and Rockland County.
Showing posts with label adoption attorney staten island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adoption attorney staten island. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Make it Go Smooth with a Family Law Lawyer
Smoothing things over becomes an unpleasant task for many amateurs in divorce cases, a task that these people are not usually prepared to face. Bitter words and harsh times can create even more uncomfortable, awkward and very tense situations or environments for the parties involved and even for those around them. Having a professional family law attorney staten island who can help to fix these situations and draft and create fair, just settlements for divorced couples can be invaluable to these couples as they go through the divorce process.
Strangely, when one thinks of a family law attorney Staten Island, they often think of those lawyers we have seen on television that have sinister ideas and intricate plots to destroy the lives of their opponents. What one will discover if they spend any time at all with any attorney is that this is simply not the case. The vast majority of attorneys are committed to discovering what is fair and implementing a settlement that reflects this. A family law attorney is not interested in taking a bad situation and making it worse. This does not benefit them at all and goes against the sense of fairness and equality that they fight to protect. A family should never go through a divorce alone, without the counsel of a professional to guide them through what can become ugly situations and hard times.
Especially if there are children involved in the divorce, these situations can become bitter messes from the very beginning. Former couples sometimes spend countless dollars and a great deal of time trying to decide who is going to have custody of their children after their divorce. What is often forgotten in situations such as these is: what is best for the children? A family law attorney will bring their expertise in these situations and past experiences in similar cases in helping the family decide what is best for the children.
Many families face the unpleasant requirement of putting their children through a messy divorce when the parents cannot get along or stay married to each other any longer. When divorce seems inevitable, the parents will usually fight often, be miserable and create tense situations inside the home, which their children often pick up on. So, getting divorced may be the best thing for the children in some cases, as nobody wants their children to grow up in these circumstances. A messy divorce, however, will often create the very thing the parents were trying to avoid, a tense and uncomfortable situation for their children. Having a family law attorney Staten Island to help the parents through these troubled times will help to smooth the situation and create a fair and calm environment for the children.
Strangely, when one thinks of a family law attorney Staten Island, they often think of those lawyers we have seen on television that have sinister ideas and intricate plots to destroy the lives of their opponents. What one will discover if they spend any time at all with any attorney is that this is simply not the case. The vast majority of attorneys are committed to discovering what is fair and implementing a settlement that reflects this. A family law attorney is not interested in taking a bad situation and making it worse. This does not benefit them at all and goes against the sense of fairness and equality that they fight to protect. A family should never go through a divorce alone, without the counsel of a professional to guide them through what can become ugly situations and hard times.
Especially if there are children involved in the divorce, these situations can become bitter messes from the very beginning. Former couples sometimes spend countless dollars and a great deal of time trying to decide who is going to have custody of their children after their divorce. What is often forgotten in situations such as these is: what is best for the children? A family law attorney will bring their expertise in these situations and past experiences in similar cases in helping the family decide what is best for the children.
Many families face the unpleasant requirement of putting their children through a messy divorce when the parents cannot get along or stay married to each other any longer. When divorce seems inevitable, the parents will usually fight often, be miserable and create tense situations inside the home, which their children often pick up on. So, getting divorced may be the best thing for the children in some cases, as nobody wants their children to grow up in these circumstances. A messy divorce, however, will often create the very thing the parents were trying to avoid, a tense and uncomfortable situation for their children. Having a family law attorney Staten Island to help the parents through these troubled times will help to smooth the situation and create a fair and calm environment for the children.
Family Law Covers A Lot
Family law attorney staten island matters represent a sizable chunk of any jurisdiction’s docket and can be among the most emotionally charged matters seen in court.
Family law attorney staten island deals with family related issues and domestic relations, including marriage, divorce, paternity, child and spousal support, child custody, adoption, long-term care for elderly parents, civil unions and other related matters.
Divorce and child custody attorney staten island cases make up the vast majority of family law cases. Family law requires that a divorce must be certified by the court system to become effective. The terms of the divorce are usually determined by a family law court, and may take into account prenuptial agreements or postnuptial agreements. A contested divorce may be stressful to the spouses and lead to expensive litigation in family law courts regarding issues such as child custody, spousal and child support and property division. Less adversarial approaches to divorce settlements have recently emerged in the practice of family law, such as mediation and collaborative divorce, which use a cooperative process and sometimes a single attorney working for both parties to come to an agreement.
Family law attorney staten island deals with family related issues and domestic relations, including marriage, divorce, paternity, child and spousal support, child custody, adoption, long-term care for elderly parents, civil unions and other related matters.
Divorce and child custody attorney staten island cases make up the vast majority of family law cases. Family law requires that a divorce must be certified by the court system to become effective. The terms of the divorce are usually determined by a family law court, and may take into account prenuptial agreements or postnuptial agreements. A contested divorce may be stressful to the spouses and lead to expensive litigation in family law courts regarding issues such as child custody, spousal and child support and property division. Less adversarial approaches to divorce settlements have recently emerged in the practice of family law, such as mediation and collaborative divorce, which use a cooperative process and sometimes a single attorney working for both parties to come to an agreement.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Before You Get Married
At common law, a marriage was created as the result of a voluntary agreement between a man and a woman to become husband and wife, without the necessity of certification by the church or the state.
Today, marriage law attorney staten island is usually regulated by nations or states, with rights and duties imposed by statute.
At present, most jurisdictions will permit marriage only between a man and a woman, and will not permit either to have multiple spouses. A legal marriage can be ended by death, divorce, or annulment.
Before You Get Married
Before you set your wedding date, it is important to learn the requirements for getting married in your jurisdiction. Usually the requirements will be made clear to you when you apply for a marriage license attorney staten island. Possible issues that may arise include:
•Blood Tests - some jurisdictions require blood tests for common sexually transmitted disease, before they will issue a marriage license;
•Pre-Marital Counseling - some jurisdictions mandate attendance at a counseling session, or a video presentation, meant to introduce some of the issues that a newly married couple might face, or counsel on avoidance of sexually transmitted disease;
•Age Requirements - if one or both would-be spouses are minors, it may be necessary to obtain parental permission before a marriage can proceed. If one or both would-be spouses are very young, typically below the age of 16, it may be necessary to also obtain approval from a judge. Typically, the marriage of a minor has the same effect as legal emancipation.
•Prohibited Marriage - almost all jurisdictions restrict who can get married, so as to prevent unions between close relatives. Sometimes these laws also extend to in-laws and step-relatives. Similarly, western jurisdictions prohibit marriage where one spouse is already married - and will hold a marriage invalid even if that spouse mistakenly thought that a prior marriage had been ended by divorce or annulment.
•Marriage License - for formal marriage, a marriage license is required. There is usually a modest license fee.
•Certificate of Marriage - At the time of the wedding ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony will ordinarily complete a certificate of marriage attorney staten island, which is signed by witnesses to the marriage, and which is filed with the state to record the completion of the marriage. In some jurisdictions the certificate of marriage is incorporated into the marriage license.
Today, marriage law attorney staten island is usually regulated by nations or states, with rights and duties imposed by statute.
At present, most jurisdictions will permit marriage only between a man and a woman, and will not permit either to have multiple spouses. A legal marriage can be ended by death, divorce, or annulment.
Before You Get Married
Before you set your wedding date, it is important to learn the requirements for getting married in your jurisdiction. Usually the requirements will be made clear to you when you apply for a marriage license attorney staten island. Possible issues that may arise include:
•Blood Tests - some jurisdictions require blood tests for common sexually transmitted disease, before they will issue a marriage license;
•Pre-Marital Counseling - some jurisdictions mandate attendance at a counseling session, or a video presentation, meant to introduce some of the issues that a newly married couple might face, or counsel on avoidance of sexually transmitted disease;
•Age Requirements - if one or both would-be spouses are minors, it may be necessary to obtain parental permission before a marriage can proceed. If one or both would-be spouses are very young, typically below the age of 16, it may be necessary to also obtain approval from a judge. Typically, the marriage of a minor has the same effect as legal emancipation.
•Prohibited Marriage - almost all jurisdictions restrict who can get married, so as to prevent unions between close relatives. Sometimes these laws also extend to in-laws and step-relatives. Similarly, western jurisdictions prohibit marriage where one spouse is already married - and will hold a marriage invalid even if that spouse mistakenly thought that a prior marriage had been ended by divorce or annulment.
•Marriage License - for formal marriage, a marriage license is required. There is usually a modest license fee.
•Certificate of Marriage - At the time of the wedding ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony will ordinarily complete a certificate of marriage attorney staten island, which is signed by witnesses to the marriage, and which is filed with the state to record the completion of the marriage. In some jurisdictions the certificate of marriage is incorporated into the marriage license.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Lawyers and Psychologists Working Together
How, then, can lawyers and psychological professionals work together for the benefit of their mutual clients? The following areas of cooperation are the main ones that my practice employs within our everyday interaction with our clients.
1. Developing and Communicating a Client’s Case
From the client’s first meeting with their solicitor, time pressure, the manner in which the solicitor elicits his instructions, the client's deep upset and the solicitor’s limited understanding of the client’s interpersonal difficulties and psychological processes which underpin their distress, automatically narrow the information base on which a case can be built. The value solicitors ascribe to legal precedent further narrows the case in the solicitor’s mind to those facts which are consistent with or distinguishable from that precedent. There is a risk that the solicitor’s early assessment of the prospects of success (usually expressed in terms of a percentage), viewed through this narrow focus and understandably couched in cautious terms, sets the client on a path of disillusionment, conditioned helplessness and increased anxiety and hostility, since he feels his case has already been pre-judged without the solicitor understanding what he or she regards as the unique aspects of it.
Psychological professionals can greatly assist in ensuring that a client’s case is formulated and presented to maximum effect through the inclusion of these unique features. Their ability to establish a good rapport, take a full case history of both the family breakdown and the contributory factors leading to it, as well as their expertise in managing the client's distress and facilitating open communication on very sensitive issues, greatly assists the solicitor to develop a holistic legal case which the client is more likely to believe accurately reflects their experience and position. Clients also find this process of great value as it frequently serves to give them additional insight into their own distress and why their relationship broke down, thereby enabling them to view the legal process more objectively and positively and to maintain their child centric position.
Since an integral part of this approach is that the client develops a broader understanding of the decision making and behaviour of their former partner, we have found that it is much more likely that the parents achieve a consensual settlement through their unification behind the common goal of the best interests of the children.
2. The Role of Psychological Professionals in Supporting their Client
It is very stressful for any parent to be involved in family law litigation. This pressure may last many months or years. A client who cannot communicate their feelings at this anxious time or sinks into a spiral of pessimism, negativity or depression in response to the prospect of their loss and to their feelings of helplessness, is unlikely to be in the best frame of mind to conduct litigation, think flexibly or continue functioning in other aspects of their life. This will inevitably have a knock-on effect upon the child’s well-being. Preserving the client’s emotional and psychological well-being in these circumstances is best undertaken by a psychological professional who understands these issues.
It is estimated that family breakdown directly affects approximately one-third of the United Kingdom population1 (and many more indirectly). Research from Families Need Fathers and the Equal Parenting Alliance provide a worrying insight. A survey of over 200 parents involved in the family justice system found that 35% of respondents had contemplated suicide, with a shocking 7% having actually attempted suicide. Clearly, this is an untenable situation that must be seriously addressed.
In order to support their client effectively, it is necessary for the psychological professionals working in this forum to have a relevant understanding of the family justice system and for the solicitor to be aware of, at least basic, psychological principles, thereby facilitating a symbiotic relationship that truly reflects and caters for the client's needs.
1. Developing and Communicating a Client’s Case
From the client’s first meeting with their solicitor, time pressure, the manner in which the solicitor elicits his instructions, the client's deep upset and the solicitor’s limited understanding of the client’s interpersonal difficulties and psychological processes which underpin their distress, automatically narrow the information base on which a case can be built. The value solicitors ascribe to legal precedent further narrows the case in the solicitor’s mind to those facts which are consistent with or distinguishable from that precedent. There is a risk that the solicitor’s early assessment of the prospects of success (usually expressed in terms of a percentage), viewed through this narrow focus and understandably couched in cautious terms, sets the client on a path of disillusionment, conditioned helplessness and increased anxiety and hostility, since he feels his case has already been pre-judged without the solicitor understanding what he or she regards as the unique aspects of it.
Psychological professionals can greatly assist in ensuring that a client’s case is formulated and presented to maximum effect through the inclusion of these unique features. Their ability to establish a good rapport, take a full case history of both the family breakdown and the contributory factors leading to it, as well as their expertise in managing the client's distress and facilitating open communication on very sensitive issues, greatly assists the solicitor to develop a holistic legal case which the client is more likely to believe accurately reflects their experience and position. Clients also find this process of great value as it frequently serves to give them additional insight into their own distress and why their relationship broke down, thereby enabling them to view the legal process more objectively and positively and to maintain their child centric position.
Since an integral part of this approach is that the client develops a broader understanding of the decision making and behaviour of their former partner, we have found that it is much more likely that the parents achieve a consensual settlement through their unification behind the common goal of the best interests of the children.
2. The Role of Psychological Professionals in Supporting their Client
It is very stressful for any parent to be involved in family law litigation. This pressure may last many months or years. A client who cannot communicate their feelings at this anxious time or sinks into a spiral of pessimism, negativity or depression in response to the prospect of their loss and to their feelings of helplessness, is unlikely to be in the best frame of mind to conduct litigation, think flexibly or continue functioning in other aspects of their life. This will inevitably have a knock-on effect upon the child’s well-being. Preserving the client’s emotional and psychological well-being in these circumstances is best undertaken by a psychological professional who understands these issues.
It is estimated that family breakdown directly affects approximately one-third of the United Kingdom population1 (and many more indirectly). Research from Families Need Fathers and the Equal Parenting Alliance provide a worrying insight. A survey of over 200 parents involved in the family justice system found that 35% of respondents had contemplated suicide, with a shocking 7% having actually attempted suicide. Clearly, this is an untenable situation that must be seriously addressed.
In order to support their client effectively, it is necessary for the psychological professionals working in this forum to have a relevant understanding of the family justice system and for the solicitor to be aware of, at least basic, psychological principles, thereby facilitating a symbiotic relationship that truly reflects and caters for the client's needs.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Use an Adoption Attorney
People who decide to adopt a child must then make many additional decisions before they can formally start the process. Do you want to adopt a child domestically or do you want an international adoption? If you adopt domestically, do you want to adopt an infant or a child in foster care? And if you decide to adopt an infant, do you want to adopt through a licensed agency, using an adoption attorney or through another type of unlicensed adoption facilitator?
An adoption agency, which must be licensed by the state, screens the suitability of prospective parents and then matches parents and children who may be a good fit. The agency will also guide you through every step of the adoption process. In this type of adoption, the agency has the most control because they'll prescreen the adoptive family and the children, and will only offer children to prospective parents when they think there's a match. An agency may also give preference to certain types of prospective parents (based on religion, marital status, etc.). When choosing an agency adoption, prospective parents may also want to use the services of an adoption attorney, since adoption is a complex legal issues, and contracts and courts will be involved.
When selecting an adoption agency or adoption attorney, you should do the same due-diligence that you'd do before hiring any other type of service provider. Some things to consider:
•Ask friends, family and others who have adopted to recommend agencies and attorneys they've used and been satisfied with.
•Confirm that the agency is licensed to operate in your state.
•Get references from past clients.
•Contact the Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General or state bar association to learn whether they've been any complaints against the agency or attorney.
•Ask for an itemized list of the total estimated costs. When will payment be due?
•Find out what services are provided by the agency or attorney.
•Ask how much experience the agency or attorney has? How many adoptions do they handle each year, and how many have they handled in total?
•Find out the average wait time to adopt a child.
•Find out whether you'll be able to meet the birth parents.
An adoption agency, which must be licensed by the state, screens the suitability of prospective parents and then matches parents and children who may be a good fit. The agency will also guide you through every step of the adoption process. In this type of adoption, the agency has the most control because they'll prescreen the adoptive family and the children, and will only offer children to prospective parents when they think there's a match. An agency may also give preference to certain types of prospective parents (based on religion, marital status, etc.). When choosing an agency adoption, prospective parents may also want to use the services of an adoption attorney, since adoption is a complex legal issues, and contracts and courts will be involved.
When selecting an adoption agency or adoption attorney, you should do the same due-diligence that you'd do before hiring any other type of service provider. Some things to consider:
•Ask friends, family and others who have adopted to recommend agencies and attorneys they've used and been satisfied with.
•Confirm that the agency is licensed to operate in your state.
•Get references from past clients.
•Contact the Better Business Bureau, state Attorney General or state bar association to learn whether they've been any complaints against the agency or attorney.
•Ask for an itemized list of the total estimated costs. When will payment be due?
•Find out what services are provided by the agency or attorney.
•Ask how much experience the agency or attorney has? How many adoptions do they handle each year, and how many have they handled in total?
•Find out the average wait time to adopt a child.
•Find out whether you'll be able to meet the birth parents.
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