When your family is undergoing big changes, like a divorce or a child custody battle, your situation can seem bleak, confusing and complicated. However, you do not have to face your Hawaii family law issues alone. There is an experienced family law professional ready to provide you with Hawaii family law support and advice on a wide variety of family-law related issues. If you need help navigating through the legal matters you are facing, contact one of our Hawaii family law attorneys today.
Hawaii Divorce
The laws governing divorce vary from state to state. In some states, the spouse requesting the divorce must specify the reason for the divorce. However, Hawaii is a no-fault divorce state. This means that no specific reason for the divorce must be given by the spouse requesting the divorce at the time of filing, other than that the marriage between the spouses is “irretrievably broken.” Alternatively, the couple can show the family court that they have been living separately, that is, at separate residences, for a period of two years or more.
As part of the divorce proceeding, there are a number of additional issues that will need to be resolved by either the divorcing spouses themselves, or by the court. These issues include property division, spousal support, child support, and child custody, to name a few. When spouses cannot come to an agreement on any of the above issues, the court is left to decide the matter for the spouses. A qualified Hawaii divorce attorney will be able to help you manage negotiations between you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse in an effort to come up with a solution that works for you and avoids leaving the matter up to the family judge’s discretion. When it comes to getting what you want and deserve out of your divorce, you need an experienced Hawaii divorce lawyer on your side providing you with Hawaii divorce assistance. Contact our team of Hawaii divorce lawyers today.
Hawaii Child Support
If you have children, one of the Hawaii family law issues you might need assistance with is child support. Providing for your child financially is very important to the well-being of your child and each parent has a financial obligation to their child. Child support determinations in Hawaii follow a specific formula set out in Hawaii’s “Child Support Guidelines,” which takes into consideration things like the number of children for which support is needed, how much money each parent earns on a monthly basis, and the costs of providing medical insurance and day care for the children, when determining each parent’s child support obligation. It is unusual for the Hawaii family court to deviate from this formula, however, limited circumstances may exist which could warrant a variation from the guidelines. If you need help obtaining an adjustment for a child support obligation, or need help enforcing a child support court order, contact a Hawaii child support lawyer for assistance right away.
Hawaii Child Custody
Children are precious, and parents never want to lose any time that they get to spend with their children. Yet, that is what is at stake during a Hawaii child custody dispute. When the Hawaii family court makes a child custody determination, a number of factors are considered, starting with the best interests of the child, which includes analyzing facts such as the child’s relationship with each parent, the mental health and wellness of the parent (i.e., does the parent have a history of substance abuse, etc.) and whether there is a history of abuse or neglect of the child by one of the parents. The Hawaii family court will then analyze additional factors such as whether a joint custody arrangement is feasible (i.e., will each parent be able to maintain frequent and meaningful contact with their child), the child’s preferences (if the child is old enough to make such a decision) and the results of a child custody evaluation, if such an evaluation is ordered by the Hawaii family court. Having a qualified Hawaii child custody attorney by your side during child custody proceedings is important to presenting your strongest possible case for obtaining custody of your children to the Hawaii family court. If you are facing child custody matters, contact a member of our team for Hawaii child custody assistance immediately.
Hawaii Fathers’ Rights
Family law issues in Hawaii seem to slant in the favor of the child’s mother, which is unfair to fathers and is very unfortunate. Mothers are usually award custody of the children, and fathers often only get visitation rights. While it seems like the family court of Hawaii still adopts unfair and outdated prejudices against fathers in divorce and child custody matters, your rights as a father in Hawaii are worth fighting for. When you need help defending and safeguarding your rights, contact a qualified Hawaii fathers’ rights lawyer.
If you find yourself facing family law issues in the state of Hawaii, you should contact a family law lawyer right away. A Hawaii family law attorney can provide you with valuable legal advice on matters such as divorce, and the legal implications a divorce has on your children, such as child custody matters and child support. Do not delay. Reach out to a Hawaii family law lawyer today.