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Many of the decisions that alter the lives of Louisiana residents surround those they love. Family law issues involve more than just divorce. Any number of disputes or needs that you have regarding your spouse, your children or perhaps other family members could fall under family law.

For example, unmarried couples with children have plenty of family law issues. First, because you are not married, the paternity of your child’s biological father needs to be established legally. You might think that simply putting the father’s name on the birth certificate suffices, but it does not. At a minimum, an affidavit would need to be filed with the birth certificate. If not done at the appropriate time, establishing paternity could require petitioning the court.

If you plan to get married, you might consider a prenuptial agreement in order to identify your separate property and make a plan to divide any marital assets in the event of a divorce. And if you are divorce, you might need to go back to the court after it’s finalized to request modifications to your divorce settlement, child custody agreement or spousal support. In other circumstances, you might find yourself in need of a protective order, which also falls under family law.

As you can see, a Louisiana attorney in this area of law can help you with a variety of family law issues, including divorce. Family dynamics are often complicated and periodically require legal action in order to resolve any disputes that arise. It is not always necessary to take your concerns to court, either. Involving an attorney could help get everyone to the negotiating table to work out any differences without involving the courts. However, you and your attorney will want to be prepared to go to court if a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached.