Legal Guidance & Expertise on Family Matters

Family Law Services

Working through a divorce is a frustrating ordeal in itself, but it is even more frustrating when children are affected. In the law office of Brian Walker Law Firm PC, we are experts in all aspects of family law, whether it’s mediation, alimony or child custody. Brian Walker Law Firm PC has a reputation for winning cases and finding the best settlements.

Child custody

Child custody will always be decided based on the best interests of the child and sometimes these decisions are extremely difficult for parents to make.

The best of interest of a child is settled according to the following points:

The child’s age, gender, mental and physical health
Health of parents
Lifestyle and social factors
Love and emotional ties between parent and child
Parents’ capability to produce food, shelter, clothing and medical care
Quality of schools in location
Child’s inclination if over age 12
Ability and willingness of parent to foster a good relationship between child and the other parent
Environmental security

Types of custody arrangements

Legal custody: The prerogative and responsibility to make choices about raising the child. This includes education, religion and medical care. When bestowed joint legal custody, parents share these privileges.
Physical custody: The ability of a parent to have a child living with them. Most courts order joint physical custody, though the time-split is often not the same as 50/50.
Sole custody: Sole custody settlements give one parent total custody privileges and allow the other only visitation rights.
Joint custody: This custody enables parents to coordinate their schedules and share decision-making privileges.
Bird’s nest custody: This occurs when the child stays in one home and parents alternate in and out of the home and take turns taking care of the child.

Child support

Child support is a fixed sum of money that is usually paid monthly to the spouse who holds primary custody of the child. It is designed for basic necessities like food, housing and clothing, health insurance medical care, and educational expenses. Child support is determined based on each parent’s monthly income and costs. Centered on this financial evidence and the amount of time each parent dedicates to the child, the court uses a formula to allocate child support.

Protective orders

If you are divorcing on the foundation of physical or verbal maltreatment, you can defend yourself and your children with protection and restraining orders from Brian Walker Law Firm PC. These orders keep you detached from the abuser in order to stay out of harm’s way. Though a protective order can’t fully eradicate the likelihood that someone will stalk or hurt you, it will enable you to contact the police and have the abuser arrested should they contravene the mandatory rules of the order.

Parental rights

This usually discusses a parent’s entitlement to make choices apropos to a child’s education, health care and religion. Determining rights and accountabilities can be stressful, specifically when it comes to the parental responsibility for any malicious or criminal actions of your child. You are only responsible for your children’s actions until they are 18.