Divorce Attorneys in Decatur, Alabama
Keeping the focus on your family, your future and your finances
Meeting with a divorce lawyer for the first time is usually a traumatic experience. People are forced to confront the reality of marital dissolution. In many cases, people are surprised by their own emotional reaction to just talking about ending the relationship. At Edwards, Belser & Smith, we understand what you are going through and we can advise you of the legal and practical consequences of seeking a divorce. If you decide to proceed, we can help put you at ease with this difficult decision by providing you with the clear-sighted advice you need to plan for your future. Our firm provides insight into the procedural and financial aspects of preparing for a divorce, including:
- What information you need to have on hand about your former spouse
- How to plan a divorce while preserving child-focused relationships
- Calculating child support payments and creating custody agreements
- Taking steps to uncover hidden assets
- Determining whether either spouse is entitled to alimony
- How to evaluate marital assets in relation to marital debt
- How equitable division splits one household into two separate households
Our attorneys can help you craft a comprehensive plan to achieve financial security for yourself and your children. In addition, we can educate and inform you about the rights you risk or waive by accepting an offer to settle. Our goal is to secure the stability of your finances and the security of your children’s futures in the years to come.
Understanding the resolution alternatives
There are two ways in which to get a divorce – through mediation or courtroom litigation. The status of your relationship with a former spouse is likely to be the best possible indicator of the most effective means of resolution.
If you and a former spouse are still friends, it is likely that mediation will allow you to resolve your disputes out of court through open communication and compromise. Your lawyer’s role in mediation is to explain the risks and consequences of your policy choices and to negotiate the best possible terms in the divorce decree.
If your relationship with a former spouse has turned sour, litigation is likely to be the best available alternative. Litigation authorizes a judge to decide issues of equitable division of marital property, child custody, child support and spousal maintenance after hearing all the relevant evidence. Your attorney’s role is to persuade the judge to analyze the issues from your perspective and to rule in your favor.
