Family Law

Cuellar   Law   Firm   is   available   to   help   clients   in   the   areas   listed   below.   The   list   is   not   exhaustive,   so   feel   free   to   contact   the   firm   to discuss   your   unique   situation   and   inquire   into   how   the   firm   can   help   resolve   your   legal   needs.   The   firm   welcomes   clients’   questions and concerns at any stage of what can often times be a difficult and emotionally challenging process.

Divorce (Dissolution)

Whether   

a   

client   

is   

fully   

in   

agreement   

with   

a

spouse  

or  

disagrees  

in  

numerous  

respects  

on  

the

terms   

under   

which   

their   

marriage   

should   

end,

the  

firm  

can  

help  

the  

client  

navigate  

through  

the

process   

and   

will   

strive   

to   

achieve   

an   

outcome

that  

meets  

the  

client’s  

desired  

objectives  

in  

an

expeditious  

and  

economical  

manner.  

At  

an  

initial

consultation,   

the   

firm   

will   

review   

the   

facts   

and

legal  

aspects  

of  

the  

client’s  

case  

and  

address  

any

issues  

which  

are  

relevant  

to  

the  

divorce,  

such  

as

property  

division,  

child  

custody,  

parenting  

time,

child support, and spousal support.

In  

the  

event  

that  

contested  

issues  

are  

not  

able  

to

be   

resolved   

amicably   

through   

negotiation   

or

mediation,    

the    

firm    

is    

available    

to    

address

disputed   

issues   

through   

litigation   

and   

seek   

to

obtain results which meet the client’s objectives.

Child Support

Child   

support   

is   

a   

prominent   

issue   

in   

many

divorce   

and   

paternity   

suits.   

The   

firm   

will   

work

with   

clients   

in   

deciding   

upon   

the   

appropriate

amount  

of  

child  

support  

under  

state  

guidelines

and  

can  

seek  

to  

obtain  

the  

appropriate  

level  

of

child    

support    

either    

through    

negotiation    

or

through  

court  

proceedings.  

Regardless  

of  

which

side  

you  

are  

on  

in  

a  

dispute  

over  

child  

support,

the  

firm  

will  

review  

the  

various  

elements  

that  

will

influence      

the      

amount      

of      

child      

support

established   

by   

the   

court   

and   

advise   

on   

the

appropriate  

amount  

that  

will  

meet  

the  

needs  

of

the   

children   

involved   

while   

avoiding   

excessive

payment obligations.

The   

firm   

also   

handles   

modifications   

of   

existing

child   

support   

orders   

to   

account   

for   

financial

problems   

or   

a   

change   

in   

circumstances   

which

makes  

continued  

payments  

difficult  

or  

impossible

as previously ordered by the court.

Child Custody

The  

firm  

can  

help  

a  

client  

seek  

custody  

of  

their

child   

in   

accordance   

with   

state   

statutes   

which

emphasize  

the  

child’s  

best  

interests.  

The  

courts

distinguish  

between  

legal  

custody,  

which  

grants

the  

power  

to  

make  

major  

life  

decisions  

for  

the

child    

(ex.,    

health    

care    

and    

education);    

and

physical      

custody,      

which      

gives      

a      

parent

responsibility  

to  

provide  

a  

place  

to  

live  

along  

with

taking    

care    

of    

a    

child’s    

daily    

needs.    

As    

an

example,  

custody  

cases  

may  

result  

in  

a  

parenting

plan   

granting   

primary   

physical   

custody   

to   

one

parent,    

with    

the    

other    

parent    

having    

a    

set

number   

of   

overnights,   

and   

joint   

legal   

custody.

Courts    

will    

often    

approve    

of    

an    

agreement

reached  

by  

both  

parents  

if  

it  

also  

confirms  

with

the  

child’s  

best  

interests.  

Whether  

resolution  

can

be  

reached  

amicably  

or  

a  

court  

ruling  

is  

needed,

the  

firm  

is  

available  

to  

assist  

clients  

throughout

the  

process  

in  

obtaining  

an  

equitable  

result  

for

both  

the  

client  

and  

their  

children.  

The  

firm  

is  

also

able   

to   

assist   

grandparents   

and   

other   

trusted

third-party    

caretakers    

who    

wish    

to    

establish

custody rights over the child.

Parenting Time (Visitation)

Parenting  

time  

refers  

to  

the  

amount  

of  

time  

each

parent  

spends  

with  

the  

child  

and  

is  

distinct  

from

the  

issue  

of  

custody.  

The  

issue  

of  

parenting  

time

often  

arises  

during  

divorce  

proceedings  

or  

when

one  

of  

the  

parties  

seeks  

to  

modify  

an  

existing

parenting  

time  

order.  

If  

a  

client  

is  

unable  

to  

reach

agreement  

with  

their  

spouse  

on  

a  

parenting  

plan

through  

negotiation  

or  

mediation,  

the  

court  

must

determine  

a  

parenting  

time  

schedule  

based  

on

the  

best  

interests  

of  

the  

children.  

In  

the  

event  

of

a    

divorce,    

the    

firm    

can    

assist    

clients    

with

establishing      

an      

equitable      

parenting      

time

arrangement      

that      

safeguards      

the      

client’s

objectives  

and  

meets  

the  

needs  

of  

the  

children.

Similarly,     

grandparents     

and     

other     

trusted

individuals    

may    

petition    

the    

court    

to    

assert

visitation  

rights  

with  

a  

child.  

The  

firm  

can  

also

pursue    

modifications    

of    

existing    

orders    

and

protect  

a  

client’s  

parenting  

time  

interests  

under

an existing parenting time plan.

Paternity

Establishing  

paternity  

is  

critical  

to  

obtaining  

legal

rights  

to  

a  

child  

as  

well  

as  

financial  

support  

that

the  

child  

may  

be  

entitled  

to  

receive.  

Unmarried

fathers  

do  

not  

automatically  

have  

custodial  

rights

over  

their  

children  

and  

must  

seek  

a  

court  

order

to   

establish   

legal   

recognition   

of   

their   

rights.

Paternity  

determinations  

are  

also  

important  

for

unmarried   

mothers   

who   

seek   

to   

obtain   

child

support for their children.

The  

firm  

can  

represent  

clients  

who  

seek  

to  

either

assert  

their  

paternity  

rights  

or  

deny  

paternity  

in

the  

event  

they  

are  

required  

to  

defend  

against  

a

paternity  

or  

child  

support  

action  

regarding  

a  

child

who   

is   

not   

biologically   

their   

own.   

Whether   

the

context   

of   

the   

paternity   

issue   

involves   

child

custody,  

parenting  

time,  

or  

child  

support,  

the  

firm

can help clients navigate through the process.

Protective Orders

For    

clients    

who    

face    

a    

domestic    

abuse    

or

harassment  

situation,  

the  

firm  

can  

help  

obtain  

a

protective    

order    

designed    

to    

prohibit    

future

contact.    

Protective    

orders    

are    

an    

important

defense       

mechanism       

notwithstanding       

the

existence  

of  

criminal  

charges  

against  

the  

party

responsible.   

The   

firm   

will   

assist   

the   

client   

in

determining  

the  

type  

of  

order  

appropriate  

for  

the

client’s    

situation    

depending    

on    

the    

client’s

circumstances.   

The   

firm   

will   

guide   

the   

client

through   

the   

process   

of   

obtaining   

a   

protective

order,  

prepare  

the  

necessary  

legal  

instruments,

and    

represent    

a    

client’s    

interests    

in    

court

proceedings.  

Among  

other  

decisions,  

a  

court  

may

make  

changes  

to  

existing  

custody,  

parenting  

time,

and  

child  

support  

arrangements  

as  

part  

of  

the

proceeding.  

The  

firm  

is  

also  

able  

to  

assist  

with

cases  

in  

which  

a  

client  

is  

wrongfully  

accused  

of

domestic abuse or harassment.

Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)

The  

firm  

can  

assist  

clients  

with  

demonstrating  

a

need  

to  

the  

court  

for  

spousal  

maintenance.  

The

court  

typically  

determines  

whether  

or  

not  

such  

a

need   

exists   

by   

examining   

such   

factors   

as   

the

client’s   

income   

or   

ability   

to   

work,   

work   

history,

educational       

background,       

other       

financial

resources,   

and   

monthly   

needs.   

In   

cases   

where

providing  

for  

another  

spouse’s  

needs  

is  

justified,

the    

court    

will    

consider    

factors    

to    

make    

a

determination  

as  

to  

the  

appropriate  

amount  

and

duration     

of     

support.     

Such     

factors     

include

financial   

resources,   

education   

and   

training,   

the

parties’   

standard   

of   

living,   

incomes,   

expenses,

division   

of   

property,   

duration   

of   

marriage,   

lost

employment  

opportunities,  

age  

and  

physical  

or

emotion   

conditions,   

and   

contribution   

of   

each

party  

towards  

the  

marital  

property  

and  

marriage.

The   

firm   

can   

also   

represent   

clients   

who   

are

contesting a request for spousal maintenance.