Fighting for You Every Step of the Way in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Rockwall & Denton Counties
Family law encompasses so many issues that you must have an attorney who understands all the potential problems that can arise during a divorce, custody battle, or other family law case. The team at The Gauthier Law Firm has the experience and understanding to navigate you through these difficult situations.
Custody issues are particularly trying for all involved, especially the children. If the custody arrangement needs legal modification, we can help to alleviate some of the stress and work to ensure the children are not emotionally affected in the process. Child support is a given in many cases, however, there are times that it must be modified. We can help you navigate through it all.
Let us be the advocate you need when you're fighting for your family. Contact our family law attorney located in Richardson now!
Protecting a Father's Rights
The Gauthier Law Firm understands the challenges fathers experience in court during and after a divorce. Sometimes mothers are unfairly advantaged in these cases. Child support can cause undue financial strain, and custody doesn't always seem fair to the father. Our Dallas County family law attorneys can consult with you about your rights as a father and defend your rights as we work together to protect your child's interests as well.
What Does it Mean to be a Father?
A mother is defined as the person who gave birth to a child. That makes perfect sense, right? A father has different definitions under the law, and they aren't always so cut and dry. A blood relationship with the child is the easiest definition of a parent to a child. The legal relationships are more of a challenge and require defining by the courts. Our Family Law Attorneys in Richardson, TX can help you establish your legal relationship with your child.
In some cases, a person may be legally defined as a father if he:
- Is married to the mother
- Acts as the parent of the child financially
- Performs the duties of a parent
- Has lived with the child during the first two years of the child's life
Child Custody & Their Interests
Most of the time, the child is placed with the parent who can provide the best care and guidance, as that is in the best interest of the child. Many courts automatically presume the parent suited to this task is the mother. Our Family Law Attorneys in Richardson, TX know this is not always the case. The mother may not be able to provide a safe home or not be mentally or physically able to care for the child. If that is the case, the father may be given custody of the child.
The Gauthier Law Firm can help you navigate the legal system. We can discuss your child's living arrangement and help ensure the child is placed in the home that is most suited to provide for them. If you believe you are better able to provide for your child, we want to help you get legal custody.
The Financial Strain of Child Support
Child support is set up according to the income of the parents and intended to support the lifestyle to which the child has become accustomed. The non-custodial parent pays a specific amount each month to support the child. Some parents often experience financial strain as a result of these payments. The Gauthier Law Firm can help you modify the child support to help reduce this strain while still allowing you to support your child.
If you are the custodial parent, you may need to request more child support for your children. The courts will look at the current incomes of both parents to decide if a child support modification is required. Our child support attorneys in Dallas County can help you seek the legal modification for support that helps you provide for your child.
Protect Yourself & Your Assets
Most of us often hear about agreements before marriage, but what happens after a marriage ends? Postnuptial agreements for couples help support the prenuptial agreement. Pre-marital and post-marital agreements are enforceable in Texas and favored by state law. If an agreement is signed before marriage, it is called a prenuptial agreement (“prenup”) or a pre-marital agreement. When a married couple decides to partition their community estate into two separate estates for various reasons, the division is referred to as a partition, post-marital, or postnuptial agreement. The Gauthier Law Firm can draft a postnuptial agreement that will help you and your former spouse get along without undue stress.
Allow our attorneys located in Richardson to assist you with your family law case. Contact our firm today at (214) 337-0786.