What is Family Law and When Does One Need a Family Attorney?

Family law is a broad, emotional and sensitive area of the law. Family law cases affect the rights and obligations of parents, husbands, wives, and children. Relationships involving step-parents, extended family, and grandparents are often scrutinized, as well. Such cases include (but are not limited to) paternity, divorce, post-divorce conflicts, modifications of judgments and orders, registration of orders from other jurisdictions, contempt or enforcement actions, and interstate support and custody matters. Family law also includes civil unions, adoptions, domestic partnership concerns, guardianships, and surrogacy.

All aspects of the marital relationship or domestic partnership arise in family law cases including: spousal support, child support, legal and physical child custody, visitation, medical and mental health concerns, addiction issues, health insurance coverage issues, pension and retirement issues, tax issues, marital debt (or bankruptcy) issues, asset and liability division, and - in some cases - spousal or child abuse. A family law practitioner must not only know all facets of the law and aggressively represent his or her clients, but he or she must also patiently and thoroughly review all factual, legal and emotional aspects of the marital or family relationships involved in each case. A family law practitioner must aggressively apply the law to the unique - and often tumultuous - events taking place in his or her clients' lives.

Attorneys specializing in Family Law at Seder & Chandler include:

Jeffrey Greenberg
Burton Chandler
Carissa Padovano