Family Law Attorney Visalia CA

Affordable legal help

Most of the time when people go through a divorce, they are unaware of the various laws pertaining to it and the procedures that follow.

To help the residents of Visalia understand the whole process of divorce, legal separation or annulment and other laws regarding child custody and support, a family law facilitator Visalia from Affordable Legal Help is at your disposal.

Before you proceed to avail the services of divorce lawyers Visalia CA, you should know the basic family laws specific to the mentioned state.

Divorce Laws in Visalia CA

In California, the person who is seeking divorce can file a dissolution of marriage on the following conditions:

• The person filing for divorce or their spouse must have lived in California for at least 6 months.
• They must have lived in Visalia for at least 3 months.

If you do not meet the above criteria or are unable to file for a divorce for other reasons, then you can file for legal separation. In case of a legal separation, the couple remains legally married but live apart. The court can pass orders regarding child custody, visitation, child and spousal support and division of property just like it is in case of a divorce.

Annulment of Marriage

If one of the spouses feels that the marriage is not valid, they can file for annulment. Following are the reasons for which the judge may declare a marriage as legally invalid:

• Marriage between close blood relatives aka incestuous marriage.
• A spouse is already married to someone else aka bigamous marriage.

In the above-mentioned cases, there is no room for reconciliation as such marriages are not valid legally.

Therefore, if you're contemplating divorce, legal separation or annulment it is advised to seek help from a family law attorney Visalia CA, as they will be able to guide you in a proper way regarding everything.

Child Custody Laws in Visalia

In Visalia CA, child custody can be legal, physical or joint.

• In case of legal custody, the parent has the right to make important decisions for the child regarding upbringing, education, religion, healthcare etc.
• Physical custody involves the residence of the child. By keeping the child's best interest in mind, the court decides with which parent the child should stay for the most part. The parent with whom the child lives is known as the custodial parent while the other non-custodial parent is responsible for paying child and spousal support.
• Joint custody means that the child gets to spend equal time with both the parents. They are responsible for providing a proper residence for the child and pay an equal amount of child support.

To better understand the rules and regulations for each type of custody, you should avail the services of child custody lawyer Visalia, CA.

Visitation

Visitation refers to the parenting time the non-custodial parent gets to spend with their child. Even in cases of joint custody, the child spends more time with one parent known as the primary physical custody. The other parent with the secondary physical custody will get specific days a week or weekends to spend time with the child.

With the help of child custody lawyers Visalia CA, you can negotiate and come up with a meeting plan that is per school vacations and holidays and is favourable for everyone involved.

Child Support Laws Visalia

Child support means to make sure the needs of the child are well taken care of after their parents get divorced. But anything that involves money, becomes a source of conflict. Same is the case with child support. To make sure that the correct amount of child support is calculated and the parent responsible for paying it doesn't back off, you may require legal help from child support lawyers Visalia CA, who are only a call away.

The amount of child support is calculated according to California's Child Support Guidelines. The following details are required for the calculation of the amount of child support:

• Income of both the parents
• The number of child expenses like education, healthcare etc.
• The ratio of time spent with each parent

Child support lawyers Visalia CA make sure that the financial information and other facts are accurate, so to determine the appropriate child support.

In case there are some changes in the financial status of the parents, they can file for child support modification in the court.

Child Adoption in Visalia

Sometimes a situation arises which calls for putting up the child for adoption. This can happen in case of:

• Death of parent(s)
• Imprisonment
• Domestic abuse
• Substance abuse
• Poor living standards
• Remarriage of custodial parent

In any case, this decision is taken in the best interest of the child. Child adoption lawyers Visalia CA, aim at reducing the stress caused by family laws. They will explain the whole process of adoption and help you in making an informed decision.

Grandparents Rights

No matter what is going on between the parents, the love of grandparents for their grandchild never ends. Even if the parents get divorced or legally separated, grandparents can always file a petition in the court to visit their grandchildren.

There are 2 circumstances for grandparents to file a petition.

• If there is already an ongoing case of divorce or legal separation, the grandparents can file for visitation under those existing cases.
• If there is no open case, the grandparents will have to start a new case to file a petition for visitation.

As of now, there aren't any official court forms for grandparents visiting the grandchild but some courts have created local forms you can fill to file a petition. You can ask a family law attorney Visalia to provide you with the form or you can even hire grandparents rights lawyers Visalia CA who can help you with your case and petition.

Contact Our Lawyers

At Affordable Legal Help, the satisfaction and interest of our clients is of paramount importance. Our lawyers use their experience and knowledge of the law to serve you effectively. We understand that each case is different, that's why we can arrange a confidential consultation so that you can discuss your situation with ease and leave it to us to come up with a realistic and favorable solution.