Family Law, Divorce & Succession

Family law is the area of law that deals with marriage and divorce, custody, paternity, spousal and child support, along with the issues that come up when you get married, have children, and perhaps get divorced. Family law also covers adoptions, guardianship, domestic violence, and grandparents’ rights.

Marital agreements are the contracts you and your spouse can enter into before your marriage (“prenuptial agreement”), during your marriage (“postnuptial agreement”), and if you decide to end your marriage (“separation or settlement agreement”).

If you and your spouse decide not to stay together, you have the following options:

• Annulment – which is a legal action where you challenge the validity of the marriage on specific grounds and ask the court to declare that the marriage should be undone, as if it never happened;
• Divorce – which is a legal action where you seek to have your marriage dissolved; or
• Legal Separation – which is a legal action where you seek a court ruling that you and your spouse are going to live separately and apart from each other without actually getting divorced.