If you are in the middle of a divorce, and you have children, you will likely need to talk to a family law professional. This is because there are several complex issues you will need to discuss. Get an idea of what you can expect to talk about with your lawyer when you face divorce.

You will need to talk about the child custody situation first and foremost. You have several options. You can choose joint custody, in which you and your spouse would share the kids. This might mean you have the children for the first half of the week and your spouse will have them the other half. It might also mean you simply switch off weeks, or some other arrangement that works for you. You could also get sole custody, and then let your spouse have visitation if desired. You should note that physical custody dictates who the kids live with, while legal custody states which parents get a say in the religious, educational, and medical decisions that are made for each child. Your family law attorney should help you decide on the best option for your household, and then will try to help you get the outcome you want.

Once the custody decision is made, you need to think about child support. The person who has the kids most of the time will be owed money by the other parent. But if you both share the children equally, child support may not be necessary. This decision, as well as the amount owed every month, will depend on your situation. It will also depend on your lawyer, so make sure you choose an experienced family law professional with a good track record when it comes to child support cases.

Many fathers question paternity at some point, especially when going through a divorce. If you think your kids may not be your own, you can ask a family law firm to help you get a paternity test. Of course, if you are sure the children are yours, but your wife is claiming they are not, you should also get a test. The results can help determine whether you get custody or have to pay child support.

These are just the most common issues a family law firm will deal with regularly when it comes to divorce. If you are going through this kind of legal case, you need to find a lawyer soon. Then you can start to work on these important issues so you can get on with life.