Uncategorized

The legal practice known as family law focuses on those issues which involve all manner of family relationships. These include adoption, child custody, divorce and many more. Those attorneys who practice family law, like the ones you can find on this website, don’t only represent their clients in a family court proceeding. They also deal with any relatable negotiations and draft such legal documents as property agreements or court petitions. So why would you hire a family law attorney? Here are 5 reasons why.

Divorce

With half of all American marriages failing, the life of the divorce attorney is a busy and lucrative one. Where children are involved, however, the family law attorney will take care of that side of the proceeding. Most parents want their divorces to be as smooth and stress-free as possible to protect their children from any of the backlash, and it’s the job of the family law attorney to try and make that happen.

Child Custody

One of the nastiest aspects of a relationship breakdown is child custody. Whether married or not, if a couple cannot decide who gets custody of the kids it will become a legal matter. If mediation doesn’t work the last step is usually to go to court. The fact that the children involved may have to actually testify and say which parent they want to live with makes many parents stop before it reaches this stage. On the flip side, if one parent is known to be violent or a possible threat to the children the family law attorney will do their best to make sure the other parent gets custody and protect them from the other parent.

Alimony

Alimony payments are one of the most acrimonious parts of the whole divorce process. How much is enough? Is the wife being greedy or trying to claim a reasonable amount? If the alimony payment stops the custodial parent often stops the other seeing the children and that’s when it can get really nasty. A lot of family law attorneys have reported this is their most commonly undertaken work.

Domestic Violence

If you have suffered physical or mental cruelty at the hands of your partner then you should seek the guidance of a family law attorney. In recent years the reported incidents of domestic violence have risen sharply. Many believe this to be due to the recession as with so many losing their jobs, or homes, or both, they have taken out their frustration on their partner. There has also been a marked increase in the males of the partnership being on the receiving end. Again, this has been blamed on the recession with their partners being angry at them no longer supporting the family and resorting to violence. Whether this is true or just being used as an excuse, is for a judge to decide.

Relocation Actions

An example of a relocation issue is if the custodial parent wants to move to another state or country, and take the children with them, the estranged partner may hire an attorney to fight the relocation. Likewise, the custodian may research prior to the move to see what objections the other parent can raise.

 

Having a happy and healthy work environment has an impact that goes well beyond the wellness of your team. Happy and healthy employees are more productive, engaged and motivated to work towards the company’s goals. They’re also much less likely to suffer from absenteeism and presenteeism.

Unfortunately, creating a physically and psychologically healthy work environment is easier said than done, particularly if your company has a toxic culture that you need to overcome. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be achieved. Here are 4 simple tips to help you get there.

1. Build trust

Before taking steps to increase the physical health of your workers, you need to create a culture that supports them psychologically. According to the staffing agency Adecco, honesty, trust and fairness are the most important attributes in the workplace for 90 percent of employees. Building trust takes time but it is achievable if you follow these simple rules:

• Own up to your mistakes and make amends
• Make promises and keep them
• Make firm commitments
• Communicate with your team and give them regular updates
• Discuss the obstacles you face and how you plan to overcome them

1. Promote wellness

You can put a range of benefits in place that will help to promote the physical and mental wellness of your team. Those benefits do not need to be expensive and any costs are likely to be repaid in the form of increased staff retention, reduced absenteeism and a boost to productivity.

Workplace exercise programmes like weekly yoga sessions and free massages can boost physical wellness, while supplying healthy food, such as regular office fruit baskets can give your team more energy and improve their concentration, outlook and mood. You can read more on these benefits here.

1. Recognise and reward

Another way to keep motivation and spirits high is to recognise the efforts of your team and make sure they are rewarded. It’s amazing how simple but incredibly effective a little recognition can be. Just 60 seconds out of your day can completely change the outlook of your team. It’s the little things that matter, and simply sending an email for a milestone achieved or taking the team to coffee or lunch can make a huge difference to morale.

1. Invest in ergonomic office furniture

Office workers can spend up to 8 hours a day sitting at a desk. Add in commuting time and you have a health problem that’s waiting to happen. 8.9 million working days were lost in the UK last year due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. As well as the working days lost, the pain associated with such disorders can damage productivity and do considerable harm to morale. A Townsville office furniture expert reminds us that investing in ergonomic office furniture and installing standing desks can be a simple and cost-effective solution.

What changes have you made to create a healthier working environment for your team? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Tired of trying to prove you’re the better parent? Understanding the basics of child custody and the court’s “better parent” standard can help you win a child custody battle against a deadbeat parent. Here’s how to leave the stress of your custody battle behind by proving you’re the better parent.

Winning Sole Custody

If you’re interested in seeking sole custody, it’s important to familiarize yourself with child custody laws in your jurisdiction. Familiarizing yourself with the appropriate child custody laws can help you prepare to present yourself in court as the “better parent.” It’s important to remember that the court’s primary concern is the best interests of your child. Depending on your situation, this may or may not involve a sole custody ruling.

The “Better Parent” Standard

Many parents enter child custody hearings to gain sole custody of their children. While some parents believe that the other parent is a deadbeat or unfit to raise their children, some parents hope to gain sole custody for other reasons. If you’re hoping to win child custody, it’s essential to realize that winning sole custody requires a higher burden of proof.

To win sole custody, a parent must prove to the court that they are the “better parent.” Meeting the burden of proof can be challenging, especially if both parents were involved in the child’s upbringing before the custody hearing.

Winning sole custody is also difficult becomes many judges are hesitant to prevent either parent from fostering a relationship with their child. Consequently, any parent looking to gain sole custody must prove that he or she is best able to care for the child without the help of the other parent.

Meeting the “Better Parent” Standard

Parents seeking sole custody must focus on the physical and psychological well-being of the child to prove that they’re the “better parent.” For instance, demonstrate that sole custody would encourage a healthier lifestyle for your child in terms of routine, sleeping and eating habits, and after-school activities. Additionally, support your child’s mental well-being by allowing your child to foster a relationship with the other parent through liberal visitations.

It’s also important to keep in mind that parents should not “trash” each other during a custody hearing. Instead of “trashing” the other parent, consider talking to your lawyer about demonstrating that the other parent is unfit to raise your child. GoLookUp, an online information database, provides mugshots, arrest records, and reverse phone lookups that can help you present evidence that the other parent is unfit. Presenting evidence during your child custody hearing can help prove that you’re the better parent without attacking your counterpart.

Consider Joint Custody

Sometimes, neither parent wins child custody. When the judge fails to determine that either parent is the better parent, he or she rules in favor of joint custody, which can involve joint legal custody or joint physical custody. Parents seeking custody must realize that a joint custody ruling is not necessarily a loss.

In many situations, joint custody rulings suit the best interests of the child. Joint custody rulings allow both parents to share equal parenting responsibilities and make it easier for both parents to foster a proper relationship with their child.

In the case of a joint custody ruling, parents must work together to create a parenting schedule. While many states require a written parenting plan, writing down your intentions and establishing a written schedule can benefit both the parents and the child.

If you’re seeking sole custody understanding the “better parent” standard is essential. To learn more about the basics of child custody, contact an expert attorney at Johnson & Taylor LLC. Ultimately, there’s nothing more important than the well-being of your children.