Family Law Paralegal

Family Law Paralegal Near Me

At Attorney Alternative, we understand that family law matters are quite personal and complicated, which is why having an experienced and compassionate LDA paralegal is important. Family law is a large scope of practice that encompasses a wide range of issues including divorce and child custody. A professional LDA (Legal Document Assistant) like Regina Martinez has the years of experience and knowledge to prepare the important legal documents you need. Our goal is to provide you with fast and accurate paperwork to help your legal process go smoothly. When you need an LDA with over 16 years of experience, call Attorney Alternative. While we can’t provide you with any legal advice, we are more than happy to prepare unlimited attorney/court prepared legal information.

Our expert LDA can provide legal documents for any of the following matters:

What are Emergency / Temporary Orders

In family law cases, court orders can be obtained only after the appropriate paperwork is filed. A hearing is scheduled, and a notice of the hearing is served on the other party allowing him/her sufficient time to file a response. These hearings occur in open court in front of a judge. In limited situations, where there is an emergency, the judge may grant a Temporary Order to be in effect only until the hearing in open court. A Temporary Order is only issued when irreparable harm will result if an order is not made before the hearing.

Child Custody

The custody of a child is a very complex matter that requires a lot of consideration. At Attorney Alternative, our expert LDA, Regina Martinez, is here to provide you with all the legal documents and paperwork that you will need for your proceedings.

Legal Custody

Legal custody determines which parent will make decisions concerning the child’s or children’s health, safety, education, and welfare. One parent can make these decisions alone, which is known as sole legal custody, or both parents may retain the right to make these decisions, known as joint legal custody. Joint legal custody means both parents should cooperate on decision-making, but that either parent has the power to make decisions alone. Sole legal custody means only one parent can make decisions and obtain information from the child’s or children’s school and doctor, for example.

Physical Custody

Physical custody determines where the child or children will reside. Sole physical custody means the child or children live with one parent and may visit the other parent. Joint physical custody means the child or children reside with both parents. In the case of joint physical custody, if one parent will have the child more than half of the time, then that parent can be labeled the primary custodial parent for tax and other purposes.

Child Visitation

A parent’s rights to visitation with their child or children is something that is outlined in explicit detail within their parenting plan. Our professional LDA at Attorney Alternative has years of experience helping parents write up these necessary legal documents.

Unsupervised Visitation

The parent who does not have the child or children more than half of the time is entitled to visitation with the child or children. Visitation plans should be specific in order to avoid potential conflicts and eliminate confusion. In developing a specific visitation plan, keep in mind that it can be helpful to be specific about which weeks of the month the visits will occur to make the plan more enforceable. For example, if a parent will have the child or children every other weekend, it would be helpful to define that specifically as the 1st, 3rd, and 5th (or the 2nd and 4th) weekend of the month. The pick-up and drop-off times may also be specific, such as Friday at 3:00 p.m. to Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

Supervised Visitation

This option is used when the child’s or children’s safety and well-being require that visits with a parent be supervised by the other parent, another adult, or a professional agency.

No Visitation

This option is used in extreme situations in which contact with the parent would be physically or emotionally harmful to the child.

What Is A Name Change?

If you want to change your name or the name of your child, you can ask the Court for an order changing the legal name. You can then use the court order to change the birth certificate, passport, social security card, driver’s license, and other documents. After you file your petition to change the name, you will get a court hearing. Before your hearing, you will have to put a notice in a Court-approved newspaper for four weeks in a row, one day per week.

Information provided through this site has been taken from self-help informational publications provided by the Court or other legal sources believed to be reliable. This information is general, published, factual information and should not be cited on or relied on as legal authority, nor should it be considered legal advice. It is always recommended that you seek legal advice from an attorney before filing any legal proceedings. Many attorneys offer free consultations. I am not an attorney, I can only provide self-help services at your specific direction.

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