Family Law
Family law is not limited to separation, divorce or even maintenance matters. It includes many important areas of everyday life, even those affecting single people, property, finance, tax and social security matters as well as commercial decisions or inheritance issues all combine to have an impact on family law matters.
We will endeavour to develop an individual solution tailor-made to your specific circumstances, whereby conflicts can be avoided and in the event of any disputes we will try to support you and obtain the best possible solutions.
In particular, we offer:
- Advice in cases of separation
- Matrimonial property agreements, separations and divorce agreements
- Support in obtaining and defending maintenance claims (including spousal and child support)
- Advice and legal counsel as well as court representation in all divorce matters including property issues and property settlements
- Assistance with guardianship and child access matters
- Representation in paternity matters
- Assistance with non-molestation matters as well as family violence protection orders
Support and Maintenance
Support and maintenance claims can arise in many different situations. They apply not only between parents and children but also in relation to grandparents, adult children and grandchildren. In each case the statutory rights and the applicable law need to be checked exactly.
Before reaching any agreement in relation to support and maintenance it is always advisable to obtain detailed legal advice so as not to give any of your potential right and claims. And even in the event that any support and maintenance orders have been made in the past or in other countries, such orders or court judgements are always subject to review if legal arguments can be identified. In this regard, we always seek to support our clients where circumstances have changed or developed from the time of the original court decision or agreement.
Divorce
In any divorce or dissolution proceedings each party should be clear as to its rights and obligations. Even if a mutually-agreeable divorce is being sought, you should be aware of all your legal options in advance, especially in relation to the consequences arising from the divorce situation:
- Child and spousal support and maintenance
- Matrimonial property scheme for equal division
- Matrimonial home or apartment
- Parental care
- Access
- Household property
We are also able to provide the so-called “Online Divorce”.
Matrimonial Agreements
If you are already married, expecting to get married soon or living with a partner in a de facto relationship it is always worthwhile to obtain advice as to the legal and contractual basis of your present and future rights and obligations. This will allow you to be active in determining the future development of your life as well as that of your partner.
Matrimonial agreements, together with separation and divorce agreements can help to ensure that you have a degree of certainty for the future and in certain cases they can also be used to avoid unnecessary disputes before the courts.
International Family Law
The number of marriages being concluded between partners with different nationalities is increasing dramatically.
Whilst it is relatively easy to get married in an international context, although there may be local difficulties with authorities, in case of any disputes or difficulties within the relationship, the problems can often be very complex from a legal point of view. Issues arise such as the applicable law and the responsible courts as well as “foreign” cultures and court orders concerning child care, custody, maintenance and the separation of property. Well before any such marriage or international partnership is entered into, it is therefore worthwhile obtaining legal advice as to possible consequences.
In case of any divorce in international marriages or between partners from outside of the German jurisdiction, the following issues have to be considered:
- Jurisdiction, the responsible court
- Applicable law
- Family law of the foreign countries
- Avoiding abduction of children to another jurisdiction
In all of the above matters we have considerable experience and are able to provide you with sound advice both before as well as after any difficulties arise.