Family law matters are often complex, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. At Douglas Family Law Group, our Greenwich family law attorneys help our clients shoulder their burdens. We provide dynamic and strategic guidance during all phases of your family law matter.
If you are going through a divorce or need help with any other type of family matter from child custody to maintenance, you should get in touch with us. Call our Greenwich attorneys at 914-615-9058 to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation.
Here are the different types of family matters our law firm handles.
Child Custody
Child custody arrangements in Connecticut should be determined on the basis of what’s in the best interest of the child. Courts typically favor arrangements that allow each parent to participate in the upbringing of the child, although not necessarily equally.
How Is Child Custody Determined by Connecticut Family Court?
A Connecticut family court must consider a wide range of factors when making, approving, or modifying a child custody arrangement to ensure that it’s in the best interests of the child. The court usually considers the following before awarding custody:
- The child’s needs
- The child’s relationship with both parents
- The financial resources of each parent
- The parents’ wishes for custody
- The ability of each parent to be involved in the life of the child
- The stability of each parent’s home.
Can We Create a Child Custody Plan Without the Court’s Involvement in Connecticut?
Yes. In Connecticut, parents are allowed to reach their own agreements regarding custody without involving the courts. Parents can prepare an agreement on their own or with the help of a lawyer, but the court must review it to ensure that it serves the best interests of the couple’s children.
What If Parents Are Unable to Agree on All Aspects of Child Custody in Connecticut?
In some instances, parents are unable to agree on any aspect of child custody in Connecticut. If that’s the case, it will be up to the court to decide both legal and physical custody of the children at trial.
Navigating child custody in Connecticut can be draining and confusing, but the Greenwich child custody lawyers at Douglas Family Law Group can help you explore all your legal options and help you find the best course forward for your family.
Child Support
Child support is one of the major issues that require your attention if you split with the other parent of your child in Connecticut and have minor children. Child support is aimed at helping meet the child’s material needs.
What Is Child Support?
Child support refers to the money paid by one parent to the other parent for the purpose of providing financial support to a child or children. Child support is typically paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent, but this isn’t always the case.
How Is Child Support Determined in Connecticut?
Connecticut family courts use guidelines provided by the state to determine how much child support is paid or received.
The court first looks at the combined net weekly income of both parents and then uses this amount to determine what percentage of total income should be allocated to supporting your children, known as the basic child support obligation.
Once the court determines the total income of both parents, it will then look at how much the parent that will pay the child support contributes to that number along with the basic child support obligation to determine how much they are expected to contribute.
What If My Financial Circumstances Change?
If you are a parent that’s paying child support and you have a substantial change in your financial circumstances, the court can approve a child support modification, which can change the amount of child support you are required to pay.
The legal team at Douglas Family Law Group in Greenwich can guide you through the process of seeking a child support judgment that favors you and adequately addresses the needs of your child. Call our Greenwich family law attorneys today at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation and learn how we can protect your legal rights.
Parenting Plans
A parenting plan is created when two parents are separated or divorced. It is a written agreement between two parents that lays out their rights and responsibilities regarding the care of their children. It is also used to avoid any potential future conflict.
How Do Parenting Time Guidelines Work in Connecticut?
In Connecticut, both parents have a right under the law to seek custody as well as visitation time with their children. Connecticut’s child custody decisions are usually gender-neutral, which means that both fathers and mothers have presumed equal rights when it comes to custody and visitation.
What Elements Must Be Included in Parenting Plans in Connecticut?
Connecticut child custody laws require the following elements to be included in a parenting plan:
- A schedule describing the children’s living arrangements (physical custody).
- An inventory of the specific needs of each child over time.
- A listing and description of decision-making authorities of parents (legal custody) along with all its components such as education, healthcare, etc.
- A schedule describing the day-to-day responsibilities of each parent along with the practical considerations of the children’s daily lives.
- A description of de-escalation steps and parental actions aimed at minimizing conflicts between parents.
- Articulation of specific remedies if or when either parent doesn’t comply with the parenting plan.
- A dispute resolution outline will be used if any disputes ever arise.
Do I Need a Parenting Time Lawyer, and How Can They Help?
If you are getting a divorce or separation and have minor children involved, you need a lawyer who will help you discover your options. The lawyer will also provide you with the representation you need to come up with an efficient parenting plan.
Parenting plans should ideally be developed to fit the specific needs, goals, and circumstances of each family. At Douglas Family Law Group, our Greenwich family law attorneys will help you develop a parenting plan that’s in the best interest of your children. Call us at 914-615-9058 to learn more.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy has recently been legalized in Connecticut through the passage of the Connecticut Parentage Act. This legislation provides legal protection for both intended parents and surrogates and recognizes and compensates surrogacy agreements.
It is essential for all parties involved in surrogacy arrangements to receive independent legal representation and undergo comprehensive medical evaluations to comply with the law.
As a law firm specializing in family law, we strive to stay up to date with this new legislation and its legal implications for surrogacy agreements. We are committed to guiding families through the legal aspects of the surrogacy process and ensuring that surrogacy contracts adhere to the guidelines set forth by the Connecticut Parentage Act, protecting the rights of all involved parties.
Prenuptial Agreement
Marriage is not only an emotional commitment, but also a legal and financial one too. No matter how confident you are in your relationship, it’s impossible to determine what the future holds. A prenuptial agreement can help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with getting married.
What Is a Prenuptial Agreement?
A prenuptial agreement or prenup is a written agreement entered into by two people looking to get married. It may include various provisions such as how marital assets are to be distributed in case of divorce and may even set limits on the maintenance paid by one spouse in case of a divorce.
What Are the Benefits of Having a Prenuptial Agreement?
Prenuptial agreements are important so that both spouses can be clear about their financial responsibilities to each other during and after marriage. Here are some of the benefits of having a prenuptial agreement:
- It helps establish an estate plan
- It helps to clearly define what is separate property and what is communal property
- It helps create a plan in case the marriage doesn’t last a lifetime
- It helps reduce future conflict.
What Should Our Agreement Include?
The premarital agreement statute in Connecticut allows couples to define the following in their agreement:
- The choice of law governing the agreement
- The ownership rights to a death benefit from a life insurance policy
- Spousal support in the event of divorce or separation
- The disposition of property in the event of divorce, separation, death, etc.
- The right to manage, transfer, and control property
- The right to participate in a spouse’s retirement plan
- The creation of a trust, will, or another mechanism to carry out the provisions of the agreement
- The rights and obligations of each party as to any property held by either or both parties
- Any other matter, including their personal rights and obligations.
Note: No provision of the premarital agreement may violate the law or public policy. Furthermore, the agreement can also not adversely affect a child’s right to support, and any provision for child custody is subject to judicial review.
Why Should I Hire a Prenuptial Agreement Lawyer?
If you have a prenuptial agreement lawyer on your side, it can make all the difference in understanding the terms of your agreement. The lawyer can review the agreement to avoid having them declared invalid by a court.
Furthermore, there are specific terms that might be tempting to include in a prenuptial agreement that shouldn’t be. An experienced prenuptial agreement lawyer knows which words are prohibited from inclusion and can help you avoid this.
If you are considering a prenuptial agreement in Greenwich, you should consider getting in touch with our legal team at Douglas Family Law Group. Call us today at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation where we can answer all your questions.
Post Judgment Modifications
Post-judgment modifications take place when changes in the situation after a divorce require modification of child and spousal support orders, child custody orders, visitation orders, etc. Post-judgment modifications are often granted if there has been a substantial change in the divorcing couple’s circumstances.
What Is a Post-Judgment Modifications Lawyer?
A post-judgment modification lawyer is a professional that can help you compile necessary financial information showing why previous court orders should be modified. A post-judgment modification lawyer can also help with relocation cases, child support orders, maintenance orders, new parenting plans, etc.
Why Should I Hire a Divorce Modifications Lawyer?
Changing the terms of a divorce order, child custody order, or child support order is difficult. You might feel that a proposed modification request is truly justified, but a judge must first accept it for it to be enforceable.
A divorce modifications lawyer can help you understand whether it actually makes sense to file a modification request. A lawyer can also explain what is required to increase the likelihood of the court granting a decision in your favor.
If you feel that the circumstances have changed and justify a modification in the terms and conditions of the divorce decree, you can seek a post-judgment modification. Douglas Family Group in Greenwich can help you with a post-judgment modification. Call us today at 914-615-9058 to learn more.
Cohabitation
Long-term, committed romantic partners in Connecticut are increasingly choosing not to marry. While there’s no common law marriage in Connecticut, and living together (cohabiting) doesn’t trigger any financial obligations or rights, unmarried couples may enter into a cohabitation agreement.
What Is a Cohabitation Agreement and When Should I Draw One Up?
A cohabitation agreement is an agreement between romantic partners in a committed relationship regarding living arrangements. It’s essentially a legal agreement that’s usually between an unmarried couple that has opted to live together.
The agreement is thus recommended to any couple that’s considering living together. It outlines the terms and conditions of living in the same home and the financial obligations associated with such. So, it protects the interests of both parties.
What Happens the Our Cohabitation Agreement Should We Decide to Marry?
If you decide to get married, you can decide to revise the cohabitation agreement so that it reflects what your wishes are in the event the marriage breaks down, or simply allow the agreement to end. You may consider a prenuptial agreement as an alternative.
Keep in mind that even a small mistake can result in a court later declining to enforce your agreement, which is why you should have the new agreement reviewed by a lawyer experienced in the area of cohabitation agreements.
Do Cohabiting Couples Have the Same Rights as Married People?
In Connecticut, cohabiting couples generally don’t enjoy the same rights as married people. Specifically, these parties may not enjoy rights to property acquired during the relationship. It is the case because marital property laws don’t apply to unmarried couples, even those in lengthy relationships.
If you want to make your cohabitation agreement process easier but not harder, more civilized, and less stressful, contact Douglas Family Law Group in Greenwich, today. We will protect your best interest and help you get through the stress of drafting a cohabitation agreement.
Speak with a Connecticut Family Law Attorney!
Family law matters are usually high-stakes affairs, personally and financially. If you face a divorce, separation, child support, or any family matter in Connecticut, you need an experienced law firm that understands all aspects of successfully handling these claims.
The lawyers you hire should effectively and aggressively represent you to ensure that your rights are protected. They should be prepared to handle all of your family law issues, whether they require strong litigation or can be resolved amicably, which is what Douglas Family Law Group offers.
The Greenwich family law attorneys at Douglas Family Law Group provide efficient and effective family law solutions to our clients throughout Greenwich. Our lawyers are compassionate allies and skilled advocates. Call us today at 914-615-9058 to schedule a consultation so we can review your case.
