There are quite a few legal issues surrounding marriage, whether the wedding hasn’t happened yet, or a couple is heading to divorce court. Many couples think ahead and make provisions for these matters by hiring a lawyer to draw up a special prenuptial agreement. Before the wedding, you and your partner can consult with a family lawyer and discuss how you want these matters to be handled. Let’s take a look at some of the significant legal matters that might arise surrounding marriage.
Alimony and child support
Alimony is the legal obligation a person has to provide financial support to a spouse before or after a separation or divorce. The specifics of the obligation will depend on the state in which the marriage takes place or the stipulations of the prenuptial agreement if there is one in place. We need to be very clear on the difference between alimony and child support. Alimony does not involve children. It only concerns the obligation that one spouse has to support the other. Child support, on the other hand, is the financial obligation that a parent bears towards his/her child.
Domestic abuse
Aside from divorce and its attendant legalities, family law attorneys also have to deal with even more fraught questions that can adversely affect families and their members. One of these is domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is defined as the physical or emotional abuse of one family member by another. The perpetrator or the victim could be a spouse, ex-spouse, sibling, parent, child, significant other, or even another, non-related person living in the same household. It is often difficult for victims to seek assistance – whether legal or otherwise – in cases of domestic abuse. An experienced family law attorney will know the appropriate course of action and can offer both sensitive and effective legal counsel and representation.
Westover Law Group is a company of family law attorneys serving Southern California. Contact us to see how we can help you with any of your concerns about the legal issues surrounding marriage.