Sometimes, married couples delay filing a petition for divorce with the help of a family law firm simply because they dread the litigation process. Divorce litigation often takes a long time to resolve and it can be highly stressful to discuss personal matters in court. However, it can also be quite stressful and unhealthy to stay in an unhappy marriage. This is why Smith Legal Group is pleased to offer our divorce mediation services to couples who feel that they can amicably work out their differences without the need for a prolonged court battle. At our family law firm near Las Vegas, you and your spouse can work with a divorce attorney who is also a skilled, qualified mediator.

Our mediators understand the intricacies of Nevada family law and they are dedicated to helping spouses who are at odds with each other come to mutually beneficial compromises. With our help, you and your spouse can develop a fair, equitable mediated divorce agreement that the family court judge will accept and enforce.

If you’re dealing with a family law matter, such as divorce, physical custody, or visitation rights, you’re going to need the help of a family law lawyer near Las Vegas. Since family law can be highly complicated and family law cases are often contentious, it’s important to choose a family attorney with stellar credentials. However, there are many other factors you may wish to consider, such as the availability and affordability of the family attorney.

Experience
It’s a good idea to ask the attorney about his or her background and experience. You can ask which law school the lawyer graduated from and how many years he or she has been practicing. You might also ask the Henderson divorce attorney whether he or she has previously handled cases similar to yours.

Availability
Divorce litigation may sometimes seem like a full-time job for you. You’ll need to find important documents, meet with your lawyer frequently, attend mediation sessions, or attend court hearings. Since you’re likely scheduling all of this around your normal work hours and other responsibilities, it can be very helpful to find a family attorney who offers flexible scheduling. Attorneys tend to work during normal business hours; however, you may be able to find a lawyer who offers appointments seven days per week. Be sure to ask the attorney if he or she offers after hours appointments.

Affordability
The process of divorce, obtaining child custody, and other family law matters is often quite expensive. For divorce in particular, you can expect to divide up assets and debts, and you’ll likely need to adjust your budget to reflect your household’s reduced income. This is why affordability is a critical concern for many people who are searching for a family lawyer. Choosing the least expensive lawyer available may not be best for your case. However, you could look for an attorney who offers flexible payment plans.

Compatibility
When you consult a family lawyer, you’re likely going to be discussing highly sensitive and personal matters. It’s important to work with an attorney with whom you feel compatible and comfortable. During your initial consultation, consider whether the lawyer answers all of your questions thoroughly and whether you feel comfortable sharing personal information with him or her.

Like most states, Nevada provides married couples with ways of seeking fault-based divorces and no fault divorces. To determine if you meet the eligibility requirements to file for divorce , you can consult a Las Vegas divorce attorney. Your divorce attorney can help you navigate divorce litigation and recommend the type of divorce you should file for. Many individuals choose a no-fault divorce, which may be granted on grounds of incompatibility. Additionally, either spouse may request a no-fault divorce if the two of you have been living separately for at least one year.

You can learn about fault-based grounds for divorce by watching this video or by consulting your family law attorney. This legal expert lists grounds for divorce such as adultery and cruelty. However, in Nevada, the only acceptable reason for a fault-based divorce is proof of insanity of the other spouse, which must have existed for at least two years prior to filing the petition.

There is no standard formula you can use to determine when it’s time to obtain the help of a Las Vegas divorce attorney. Every couple has unique marital problems and varying levels of commitment. However, if you find yourself frequently wondering if your quality of life would improve if you did consult a divorce attorney , it may be time to analyze whether your relationship is salvageable.

Your Spouse Seems More Like a Roommate
Most marriages do not fall apart overnight. They gradually disintegrate over the years until the romance is gone and neither spouse enjoys each other’s company. In fact, one of the most common reasons for initiating divorce litigation is that the marriage feels more like a practical living arrangement, rather than a relationship. If you and your spouse are rarely intimate or are staying together merely for financial advantages, it may be in your best interests to seek the legal guidance of a divorce attorney.

You and Your Spouse Argue Constantly
It’s rare for a couple to never fight at all. One sign of a healthy marriage is the ability to disagree, and then to resolve differences with clear communication. If you and your spouse can’t seem to see eye to eye any longer, consider talking to a Henderson family lawyer. Many couples decide to file for divorce when they realize that they’re arguing over the same issues over and over again, yet never managing to resolve anything. Sometimes, marriages characterized by constant arguments are also marked by verbal abuse. Verbal abuse can be difficult to recognize. If your spouse is verbally abusing you, you may feel as though you no longer have any self-confidence, that you have to walk on eggshells at home, or that your spouse is purposely trying to hurt your feelings.

Marriage Counseling Hasn’t Helped
Often, one or both spouses try to work with a marriage counselor before meeting with a divorce attorney. Marriage counseling can often save relationships by helping spouses view situations from the other’s perspective. If you’ve tried marriage counseling and it doesn’t appear that your relationship has improved, you might consider filing for divorce.

Smith Legal Group is a Las Vegas full-service law firm providing assistance to clients in family law, divorce and personal injury cases. Our practice was founded on the belief that individual clients deserve individualized legal solutions with a family attorney. As a result, our family law firm identifies, analyzes and evaluates each client’s case to design the best possible legal strategy.

In addition to being a family law firm, we also provide aggressive representation to clients who have suffered injuries due to another’s negligence. Even though no two personal injury cases are the same, common consequences include pain and suffering, lost wages, diminished quality of life and medical expenses. At Smith Legal Group, our personal injury lawyers in Las Vegas help clients obtain compensation for the costs associated with their injuries. Kurt Smith is a former insurance adjuster and accident investigator who uses his expertise to evaluate a client’s claim from an insurance company’s perspective. This helps our clients avoid the common pitfalls and loopholes insurers use to avoid paying claims.

The decision to end a marriage usually takes time, as you may find that your feelings tend to change on a daily basis. Some days you may feel more confident that your marriage is over, while on other days you may be focusing on your remaining love or how divorce will affect your family. Before you meet with a divorce lawyer serving Las Vegas , there are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if your marriage can be saved.

Are you simply threatening divorce?
As a divorce attorney will advise you, filing for divorce means separating all legal, practical and emotional aspects of your life from your spouse. In heated marital arguments, you may find either you or your spouse threatens divorce. But, if you consistently threaten divorce during an argument, you lose credibility. Your decision to divorce should come from a desire to close the chapter of your life you share with your spouse. This means you should be considering divorce even when you are not fighting with your spouse.

Is this an emotionally reactive decision?
Filing for divorce means entering a legal process where you determine asset division or joint custody issues. In order to make appropriate decisions during this process, you need to let go of any strong emotional attachments toward your spouse. This means letting go of your feelings of love as well as your hostile and hurtful emotions. Making emotionally charged decisions don’t affect your underlying issues. If you begin your meetings with a divorce attorney angry, you will likely stay angry once the divorce is final.

Can you take control of your life?
Whether you initiated divorce or you are meeting with a family law attorney in response to your spouse filing for divorce, you need to react appropriately. The attitude you choose to adopt will determine the type of divorce you have. Instead of entering the process from a position of bitterness or revenge, negotiate your future from a position of strength, understanding and respect.

In a fault divorce case, one party claims that the other party was at fault for the end of the marriage. If the other party disputes the grounds to the divorce claim, then he or she may be able to stop the divorce process. A no-fault divorce claim allows a couple to end their marriage without providing a reason for the dissolution of marriage.

As this divorce attorney explains, a party only needs to allege that the marriage is irretrievably broken in order to file for no-fault divorce. Even if the other party doesn’t want to divorce, he or she can’t dispute a no-fault divorce claim. The purpose behind no-fault divorce laws was to make the divorce process simpler. Laws regarding no-fault divorce vary by state, so you should consult with a divorce lawyer serving Las Vegas about Nevada laws if you are considering getting a divorce.

To obtain a child support application in Nevada, you can call the Family Support Division and either have an application sent by mail or stop in and pick one up. You can also send it by mail or drop it off in person once you have filled it out. When filing for legal custody in Las Vegas , you will need to provide your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, birth certificate, and decree of divorce or legal separation agreement.

Child support order
The District Attorney’s Office, Family Support Division can obtain a court order requiring the noncustodial parent to pay child support. If you are seeking child support, you should discuss your options with a child custody lawyer . As your family attorney will explain, the District Attorney’s Office needs to know where the noncustodial parent resides or works before securing a court order for child support payments. If the noncustodial parent refuses to make child support payments, you may be able to obtain an order for income withholding of the child support from the noncustodial parent’s wages and assets.

Workers’ compensation
If the noncustodial parent receives unemployment, workers’ compensation or other state retirement system benefits, your family law firm may be able to have your benefit checks attached to that payment support system. If the noncustodial parent has no source of income, the court will order him or her to search for a job and notify the court once a job is secured. The court can also intercept his or her federal and state income tax refunds in order to distribute child support obligations.

Custody determination
While the District Attorney’s Office, Family Support Division may help in obtaining child support benefits, it cannot help determine custody or visitation issues. If you have questions regarding joint or legal custody in Las Vegas, you should consult with a divorce attorney. However, if your case involves issues of rape or incest, then you will need to involve the District Attorney by reporting the incidents to the appropriate police agency.

It’s all too easy to get a little carried away under the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip. Wedding chapels in the area offer affordable packages and fun themes, and quite often, couples decide to tie the knot without thoroughly considering their future together. Smith Legal Group, a family law firm near Las Vegas, understands the conundrums elopers often face when they realize that tying the knot may not have been the best decision. When you visit our family law firm , we’ll review your unique situation, apprise you of your legal rights, and explain your options, which may include annulment.

Annulling a marriage means that the marriage was never legally valid and therefore never existed. As our family law attorney can explain to you, an annulment of a marriage is much simpler than a divorce and it is typically resolved more quickly. Our family law firm can help you take advantage of Nevada’s annulment laws, which enable even nonresidents to go through this process. This means that we’ll take care of all of the paperwork at our family law firm in Henderson, while you return home and put your ill-fated marriage behind you.

Adoption offers the opportunity to welcome a child into your family and it gives that child a second chance at life. Many people decide to consult a family law attorney about adoption because they struggle with infertility and cannot have their own biological children. Others seek the counsel of an adoption attorney in Las Vegas because they feel compelled to help a child in need. Regardless of your reasons, starting the adoption process is laudable. A family law attorney serving Henderson can help you learn more about adoption law in Nevada.

Am I Eligible to Adopt a Child?
If you successfully navigate the adoption process, you’re likely eligible to adopt a child in Nevada. Your family law attorney will review your unique situation and explain the criteria for adoption. Individuals of any race, religion, income, and marital status can apply for adoption. However, you must be over the age of 21 and at least 10 years older than the child you apply to adopt. No preference is given to those who rent versus those who own their own homes.

Can I Specify Adoption Preferences?
On your application, you can specify the preferred age, sex, ethnic background, and number of children you prefer. You can discuss these preferences during the home study process.

What Information Will I Receive?
You’ll be provided with all of the information about the child’s background that is available to the adoption agency. The birth parents may choose to limit identifying information. Sometimes, adopting parents may directly contact the birth parents to gather relevant information.

What does the Adoption Process Involve?
After you apply to adopt a child , you’ll go through the home study process. This is a type of screening tool that also serves to provide you with necessary information. During the home study process, the adoption agency staff will get to know you and your family, review your references, and conduct fingerprint and background clearances.