Divorce has an overwhelming presence in the United States, that it is easy to understand the issue of custody battles that come up with these cases. Most often divorce attorneys are able to help complete settlements, but other child custody lawyers and family lawyers are needed to help with the completion of custody agreements in a civil manner.
The Frequency of Divorce
Different studies have shown that the frequency of divorce increases as people enter their second and third marriages. So many people divorce, whether it is their first, second, or third divorce, and there is always the potential that children are involved in those cases. Sometimes a couple can easily agree on joint custody, or which parent the children will live with during which days of the week and which times of the year. Other times, there are harsh battles that arise in the attempt to create custody agreements because the determination of what is best for the children is often forgotten in the process. With the length of divorce proceedings often taking a year or longer, the stress can build on both people, especially if child support or other financial payments are added to the agreements afterward.
Attorneys and The Need for Custody Agreements
While it may seem that the divorce lawyer is the one to cover the entire process, others are often needed for the other processes. Property division, custody, and much more, are questions placed on the table in this process. It may take several attorneys to help complete everything throughout this long process, and it can become very expensive. There are also specific legal matters that may need to be covered, including divorce for business owners and mediation for child custody. Sometimes it is key to have an attorney who is able to handle all of these things in detail quite well, but other times more than one lawyer can help. When it comes to the children, a couple may think that they are able to settle the matter calmly and and agree to share the children, but without custody agreements on paper there may be more trouble in the future.
The Divorce Mediation Process
While not all custody agreements arise due to divorce, it is the most common reason. Knowing that about half of all marriages end in divorce, there are many issues within a marriage separation that require divorce advice or mediation. In these proceedings, an outside source is able to take an unbiased form of communication to help complete the agreements that are needed in order to end the situation calmly. With about 40-50% of couple in the United States divorcing, there is often a need for mediation of some sort that leads to custody agreements. Many of these couples have children and agreements of some sort are needed as to how the children will be raised.
Not Just Divorce
There are many un-married couples who have a child or children and face the need for custody agreements upon their separation. They may have been together for a long time or lived together for a long time and many of these separation proceedings are still needed because of their legal bond. If both parents’ names are on the children’s birth certificates, then there is a need for custody agreements in order to make sure that a solid agreement is made as to how the children will be raised when the parents are no longer together. This situation may be just as challenging as a divorce, and it can be something that also requires advice or mediation in order to reach the proper terms.
No matter what you may see in the coming of a divorce, there is more to it than simply sitting at a table and signing the divorce papers. As easy as that may seem, most people are unable to come to that agreement and the darker side of the matter comes up. So, make sure that you are prepared with a divorce attorney and all the information and paperwork that will be needed to make the process as smooth as possible.
