Areas of Practice

Family law disputes are often the only reason a person becomes involved in the court system. Although family law cases do not involve a criminal element or a serious physical injury, each case can still become very emotional and challenging. Issues concerning children, homes, vehicles, retirement accounts, businesses, and so on can all add to the stress of the situation.

Because of the personal nature of family law disputes, it’s important to work with an experienced attorney who will make sure your interests are heard, understood, and protected. Choose our family law lawyers of Boyd Wallace Law Firm and put all of your worries at ease. We are the team that you can trust for sensitive legal issues, especially those that directly involve you or your family.

Talk to us today about your family law concerns. Dial 763.296.5005.

Common Elements of Family Law

A divorce is an official, legal ending of a marriage. But it is not a single-step process that instantly ends the marriage and then the ex-spouses move on. Divorce has many parts and steps, all of which fall under the larger legal umbrella of family law. There are also other family law processes that are not specific to divorces.

Common family law cases that our firm handles for our clients include:

• Divorce: A divorce or dissolution of a marriage involves asking a family law court to officially end a marriage. If it goes smoothly, it is uncontested. If the spouses can’t agree for one reason or another, it is contested.
• Alimony or spousal support: It is common for one spouse to make more money than the other. When divorcing, the higher income earner might be ordered to pay alimony to the other until they can become financially independent.
• Alternative dispute resolution: To avoid divorce and litigation, some family law disputes can be settled through an alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which often involves a third-party independent mediator working with both parties to find an amicable solution.
• Child support: To ensure a child of divorce continues to lead a happy, content life, a court will order one parent to pay child support to the other. Usually, the parent who pays child support either makes significantly more income or receives less physical custody rights or parenting time than the other.
• Paternity and custody rights: Legal and physical custody describe a parent’s right to raise and live with their child, respectively. After a divorce, the court must decide which parent keeps these rights and to what extent. The deciding factor is whatever is best for the child.
• Post-decree motion: If a court’s order doesn’t sit right, then a post-decree motion can be used to ask for it to be revisited and potentially redecided. These complex cases usually require the help of a family lawyer like ours.
• Prenuptial agreement: Spouses can pre-decide how to manage a future divorce, just in case it ever happens. We know how to make a prenuptial agreement that satisfied both spouses’ expectations and doesn’t cause any conflict or irritation.
• Stepparent adoption: When a stepparent wants to adopt their stepchild to make them officially their child under the law, both biological parents must consent, which can lead to some complicated legal situations.
• Third-party custody: Sometimes a grandparent, uncle, aunt, or another family member wants to gain custody of a child in their family because the child’s parents are unfit for parenthood. This is known as third-party custody.

One Firm for All Family Law Cases

You can count on our family law attorneys for all aspects of your family law case. Whether you are divorcing or just going through a difficult dispute, you can trust us to handle your case with professionalism and respect.