Updated December 14, 2023
Family law is the most personal, emotional legal matter people face. That means that nothing is more complicated or higher stakes. This is why having a skilled attorney on your side is so critical.
And that’s also why, at Freed Marcroft, we devote our legal practice exclusively to family law.
Our West Hartford family lawyers’ experience goes an inch wide and a mile deep so that we can give you insights and advice highly tailored to you. That’s how we deliver you the very best experience possible during what we know is the most important, and inevitably challenging, transition of your life.
What Can Our Family Lawyers Help You With?
Divorces are the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of family law. We are a family and divorce law firm that helps individuals – including international families, unmarried couples, and the LGBTQ+ community – through all kinds of challenges that stem from divorce, such as alimony obligations, separating property, child support, and custody determinations.
Divorce is a huge part of what we do. But there is more than you might not think of that a West Hartford family attorney helps with beyond ending a marriage, negotiating the terms of that divorce, or litigating a dissolution. For instance, a qualified lawyer can provide legal guidance when drafting a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, which, in addition to streamlining any future divorce, can even go a long way towards preventing a marriage from deteriorating over time.
Likewise, family lawyers help you obtain post-judgment modifications of existing court orders, and enforce the legal rights of parents and grandparents. We are also your advocate when you need the court’s assistance to get an ex-spouse, co-parent, or former partner to follow the terms of an existing court order.
Why is Legal Representation Important in Family Law?
For many people, family law is their first interaction with the legal system. Unlike with criminal cases, the United States Constitution does not consider legal representation a fundamental right guaranteed to you during a family law matter. In other words, people can represent themselves in Connecticut family court.
But is it a good idea?
We frequently help people as they try to “undo” mistakes they made when they represented themselves. To a one, they regret not hiring capable legal representation in the first place.
While state law does not require spouses who are drafting a marital contract like a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement to each have their own lawyer, it does require that each party have a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel while it is happening. As a family lawyer in West Hartford can tell you, courts scrutinize marital contracts more carefully when one or both parties did not have their own independent legal representation or failed to do the other specific things you should do to support a court’s enforcement of the contract down the road should you need it.
That means courts are more likely to reject these contracts as unfair, made under duress, or otherwise legally unenforceable. Freed Marcroft will help you get it right the first time so the decisions you make in your marital contract are not questioned later.
Speak with a West Hartford Family Attorney Today
These are serious issues that deserve a serious investment in experienced family law counsel. Look, you know more about your life than we do. But we know a lot more about family law than you do. Plus, having an attorney on your side can be just as crucial for your personal well-being as it is for your legal outcomes.
Call a West Hartford family lawyer from Freed Marcroft today to get the reassurance and direction you need. We are here for you from beginning to end.
