PART I – INTRODUCTION TO FAMILY LAW COURT
So you find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing help with some sort of family law matter. Maybe your spouse’s conduct has you questioning the future of your marriage. Perhaps your former spouse has stopped making voluntary child support payments. Maybe your estranged spouse is now arguing with you about child custody arrangements. Your spouse has just locked you out of your house and has also withdrawn all the monies from your joint savings account. These are just some of the many reasons people seek the advice of MFDD’s experienced family law attorneys.
MFDD family law attorneys generally advise our clients to attempt to resolve disputes outside of court if at all possible. That course of action keeps the decision making process in the hands of the parties themselves with the assistance of counsel. However, if the parties cannot reach a voluntary agreement, the only alternative is to have a decision imposed by a person who has the legal authority to do so. What MFDD’s experienced family law attorneys do in such situations is to steer our clients to the right court and the appropriate person who can issue a Court Order that mandates a resolution to the particular family law dispute.
Many, if not most, of MFDD’s family law clients have very little or no experience with lawyers or the family court system. In fact, it really is surprising how little people know about our “real” legal system, which rarely is portrayed accurately on television or in the movies. What people think they know is not what they are likely to discover when they appear in court in any matter, and particularly family law matters. The purpose of this series we’re calling “The Who, What, Where, Why, and When of Family Law Court” is educational; to provide a window through which you see a true picture of the “real” family law court system. We warn you that the picture we paint might not be a totally warm and fuzzy one, but it is one you need to see before making a decision to enter the Courthouse.
You will better understand the reasons why MFDD family lawyers typically advise our clients to stay out of court if at all possible after you read this series of articles. Of course, it is sometimes impossible to avoid going “to court” in family law matters, when emotions are running high and logic often takes a backseat. If both parties can keep their emotions in check, it is possible to obtain a divorce, divide marital property, and even obtain child custody and support orders, without stepping foot into a courtroom.
If you are faced with a family law problem, MFDD family law attorneys can help. MFDD family law attorneys have helped hundreds of clients with divorce, custody, child support, and alimony-related matters throughout Pennsylvania and particularly in the Lehigh Valley. To have some peace of mind, consult with an MFDD family law attorney before making any decision you may live to regret.
We hope you return soon to our website to learn about “The Who, What, Where, Why, and When of Family Law Court, Part II – I’m in Court, But Where is the Judge?”