Hickory Family Lawyer

Hickory Family Law Attorney

Dealing with family law disputes can be some of the most emotionally charged, stressful legal conflicts to navigate. If you are facing any kind of family law matter, it is important that you get in touch with a compassionate Hickory family lawyer to make sure your needs and desires are represented.

At Cody Law Firm, we want to do whatever we can to stand up for your family’s rights. We understand how heated family disputes can get and what an overwhelming time this is for you. When you consult with us about your case, we can help you understand all of your legal options and immediately start designing a strategy to help you secure the outcome you desire.

What Is Family Law?

If you are dealing with any sort of legal dispute that is related to your domestic life, then you are looking at a family law case. For instance, all of the following topics fall under the broad category of family law within the even broader realm of civil litigation.

Divorce

Dissolving a marriage is never easy, no matter how long you have been married or what you are going through. There are two main types of divorce that you can find yourself in – contested and uncontested. If you are in an uncontested divorce, this means that you and your former partner agree on how to divide up all of your marital property. Even if you think that you two are on the same page and thus do not need legal support, circumstances can change before you know it.

Consulting with a divorce lawyer in Hickory is still important for your uncontested divorce to make sure your interests are represented throughout the entire split.

If you find yourself in a contested divorce in which you and your former partner do not agree on how to divide your marital property, you need to hire a divorce attorney more than ever. Your divorce lawyer can help you with negotiating and fighting for what you want and with making sure that you get a fair outcome.

Prenups and Postnups

It might seem a bit strange and unsettling to think about divorce before you even get married to your partner, but anticipating how your split will go when you are still getting along can actually save you a huge headache in the future. When you sign a prenup before entering into a marriage in Hickory, NC, you protect your interests from the start and prevent losing what is important to you if you do one day separate.

Now, you might find yourself already married and regret not signing a prenup. If this is the case, you still have options to protect yourself before you decide to get divorced. Your family law attorney can walk you through the process of drawing up a postnup, in which you make a plan for the division of assets while you are still married.

Child Support

Dissolving your marriage can be much more complicated when you have children. If you and your partner are splitting up and have had children together, one parent might have to make child support payments to the other parent. The court will calculate the expected child support payments by taking into consideration both of your incomes as well as who will spend more time directly caring for your child.

Once a child support order is issued, it can be incredibly difficult to modify. However, it is not impossible. For example, if you have lost income and can no longer make your child support payments, a family law attorney can help you compile the evidence and argument you need to convince the court to change the agreement.

On the flip side, if you are the recipient of child support payments and find that the other party is not making the payments they are legally required to, your family law lawyer can help you enforce the order.

Child Custody

Determining who will get custody of the children in a divorce can also be complicated and emotionally distressing. Above all, the Hickory court will prioritize what is in the interest of the child.

However, you will have a say in trying to convince the court that you should get custody. Your family law attorney can gather strong evidence and craft a compelling argument in your interests.

Like child support orders, child custody agreements are tough to modify. That said, in some extreme situations, if you have evidence that your child’s safety is at risk or that one parent is not holding up their end of your agreement, your child custody lawyer can fight for modifications to your child custody agreement.

Estate Planning

No one wants to think about what will happen when they pass on. However, if you do not, then you are likely setting up your loved ones for a major headache on top of the grief process that they will one day experience when you are gone.

Hiring an estate planning lawyer to help you organize your estate can help you make your loved one’s lives a lot easier. For example, your family law attorney can help with the following:

• Wills: A last will and testament is a document that details how you would like your assets disseminated after your pass on. In your will, you can also name an executor if you so wish. When you consult with a family law attorney to help with estate planning before you pass, you simplify the process of distributing your assets to everyone who is involved. For example, people who make their own will without the assistance of a capable legal professional might find that the legitimacy of their will is contested after they pass, and the court ends up giving out their assets as they see fit.
• Trusts: If you want to set aside assets for someone to access after you pass on, you could set up a trust in which you transfer those assets before your death. Your lawyer can help you set aside the assets so they are already transferred to your designated beneficiaries while you are alive; they just cannot access them until you have passed. Setting up a trust makes the eventual transfer of your assets quite smooth and helps avoid any contestations or disputes about who gets what. When you consult with a lawyer to set up a trust, you can also set up specific conditions and restrictions about the use of your assets that are sure to be carried out. For example, you could state that the beneficiary of the assets in the trust is only to use that money for higher education.

What Are the Roles of Family Lawyers in NC?

Your Hickory family lawyer can help you with a whole host of important actions in North Carolina. For example, your attorney can give you personalized legal advice to help you understand what your options are. They can negotiate with opposing parties and advocate for your rights in the event that litigation is necessary.

How Much Is a Family Lawyer Cost in Hickory, NC?

The price of legal fees for a family law attorney in North Carolina can drastically vary. One factor that will play a significant role in determining how much you have to pay in legal fees is what you need a lawyer’s help with.

The more time your lawyer has to dedicate to research, planning, and representing you in court will all make your fees higher. However, the more complex your case is, the more important it is that you have a dedicated legal professional working on it so that you can walk away with a positive outcome.

Another factor that might play a role in the cost of your Hickory family lawyer is your lawyer’s proven track record of success. If your lawyer has proven themselves to be an effective attorney and has successfully helped clients like you get the outcome they want, then they might charge more than other attorneys. While you might be tempted to go with the most affordable legal support, if you want a good chance at a positive outcome, it is in your interest to do research.

A Compassionate, Dependable Hickory Family Lawyer

If you are going through a familial dispute in Hickory, the last thing you need on top of your emotional distress is to go through the complex, often frustrating, legal system alone. When you get in touch with an experienced family law attorney, you can rest assured that your rights are in good hands and that your interests are being represented. That way, you can spend more time working on your emotional health and that of your loved ones during this tumultuous time.

At Cody Law Firm, we can help you with a wide range of family law cases and can respectfully and patiently listen as you ask questions and voice your concerns about your situation. When you put your trust in our experienced team, you are making sure your voice gets heard. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you.