Family & Marital Law
Geisler Law Offices has represented a great number of clients in the Macon County area on cases involving dissolution of marriage, parentage cases, property division, child custody and visitation, child support, maintenance, change of residence and custody modification.
Divorce/Dissolution
This is a court decree that terminates a marriage. A divorce decree establishes the new relations between the parties, including their duties and obligations relating to property that they own, support responsibilities of either or both of them, and provisions for any children. When a marriage breaks up, divorce law provides legal solutions for issues that the husband and wife are unable to resolve through mutual cooperation.
Custody encompasses the care, control, guardianship, and maintenance of a child, and may be awarded to one of the parents in a divorce or separation proceeding. Joint custody is an emerging concept that involves the joint efforts of the parents to care for the child(ren).
Paternity is the process of establishing the identity of the father of a child or children. The father may voluntarily acknowledge paternity in a legal document filed with a court or may agree to have his name listed as the father on the child’s birth certificate. If the man disputes fatherhood, the mother or the state government may initiate a legal proceeding, known as a paternity action, to adjudicate fatherhood.
Visitation Rights is the process of establishing the rights of visitation by the non-custodian parent.
Child Support. Child support is a parent’s legal obligation to contribute to the financial care and costs of raising his or her child. Usually support is provided until the child reaches the age of maturity, or child’s emancipation before reaching maturity or the child’s completion of secondary education. We are happy to assist you in establishing a child support order or modification of a pre-existing child support order.
Alimony/Maintenance. Alimony or now often referred to as maintenance is an order of a court for the support of one spouse by the other spouse.
Domestic Violation is the process of obtaining an Order of Protection, due to a threat that you feel by a spouse, or partner. This is different from a criminal domestic situation, as this is the process of obtaining an order which prohibits the defendant from contacting you.
A Pre-Nupital Agreement is a written contract between two people who are about to marry, setting out the terms of possession of assets, treatment of future earnings, control of the property of each, and potential division if the marriage is later dissolved.These agreements are fairly common if either or both parties have substantial assets, children from a prior marriage, potential inheritances, high incomes, or have been “taken” by a prior spouse. Geisler Law Offices is your local attorney for preparation of your pre-nuptial agreements.
Modification of Divorce Decree generally refers to a change in the order that was issued declaring the couple officially divorced. The divorce decree will often contain orders related to child custody and visitation, as well as division of assets, support payments, and other issues. Proceedings to modify a divorce decree are commenced by filing a petition to modify in the original divorce action decree.
Juvenile Matters. Have your children been taken by Department of Child Family Services? DCFS can take your children if they believe that the children are being abused or neglected while in your care. If this is happening to you, please make Geisler Law Offices your first call.