The Initial Phase of a family law case consists of many elements and can be a very difficult time emotionally. Many decisions are made at this point, which are very important.
WHY YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCED DALLAS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY
The first decision is whether to hire an experienced Dallas family law attorney, or to represent yourself. Given the emotional difficulty, it is almost always best to seek out the assistance of legal counsel. In addition to the emotional aspect, another reason to retain counsel relates to the many issues that arise early in a family law case. These include:
- Who’s going to pay child support & how much?
- Where are the children going to live?
- Who’s going to pay the bills?
- What happens if the other parent refuses to return the children?
This early part of the case can be overwhelming. This is definitely the time for help from a Dallas Family Law Attorney. You need someone who you can turn to and rely upon to provide emotional comfort, and to help restore your confidence.
TEMPORARY ORDERS – RESTORE ORDER & AVOID CHAOS
Benefits:
- Get into Court within weeks
- Avoid dealing with on-going drama
- Provides clarity for both parties
A family law case can last for many months. It is not unusual for a case to last for several years. However, most cases last between 9 to 18 months. During this time, disagreements over finances and children can become unmanageable. As a result, Temporary Orders can be requested from a family law court to restore order and define the “rules of the road” until the case can be resolved.
Temporary Orders answer the questions stated above, and clarify the financial responsibilities of each party. Additionally, possession schedules, child support & health insurance obligations are also put into an enforceable court order.
Temporary Orders can be based upon an agreement of the parties. However, if the parties cannot reach an agreement, a court will conduct a hearing where each side argues why their proposal should be adopted. Rather than waiting 9 to 18 months, it usually takes between 2 to 4 weeks to have a hearing requesting Temporary Orders.
Once the Initial Phase of the case has concluded, then it is time to begin the process of working towards a final resolution.
