Family Law

Whether you’re going through a divorce, fighting for child custody or probating a will after the death of a loved one, the areas of family law are often emotionally charged for those parties involved.  During these difficult times, you can count on the compassionate, experienced family law attorneys at Wendy Satin Law in Rockville, MD for counsel and guidance.

Family law is an area of the law that deals with family related matters and domestic relations. Family law consists of a body of statutes and case precedents that govern the legal responsibilities between individuals who share a common domestic connection including: marriage; civil unions; domestic partnerships; adoption and surrogacy; child abuse; domestic violence; divorce; annulment; property valuation; property division; equitable allocation of marital assets; alimony; child custody; child support; visitation; and, paternity. In most jurisdictions in the United States, domestic relations cases comprise the bulk of the civil cases filed.

Each domestic relations matter is unique. Each domestic relations case varies in the number of issues which may require a judicial determination and each case varies in the complexity of the issues which may require a judicial determination. The most common type of domestic relations matter brought before the Court is a complaint requesting the granting of a divorce. These issues may include: legal custody, residential custody, child support, alimony, the valuation and equitable division of marital assets, and attorney fees. However, there are many other areas of family law and domestic relations matters, outside of the traditional divorce including: annulment; protection from domestic violence, peace orders, adoption, modifications of existing custody orders, pre-nuptial and post nuptial agreements, business and other asset valuations, and the enforcement of existing Agreements and/or Court Orders.

The domestic relations courts have been granted broad discretionary powers in order to resolve contested domestic relations disputes. At times, the Court’s authority and broad discretionary powers can seem arbitrary, capricious, and counter intuitive. The input and advice of an attorney who has had significant experience in family law is essential in assisting to guide you through this difficult and emotionally taxing process. An experienced and respected attorney can, and will, educate you about the legal issues of your case, assess your risk, and provide you with objective and cost-effective advice designed to obtain the best possible result, whether your case is litigated or whether you case is resolved by agreement.

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