When you are in love and planning for your wedding, the last thing on your mind is the need to hire a lawyer. After all, you are about to marry the love of your life. Why would you need a lawyer for that? Why would love become a legal issue just because you want to spend the rest of your lives together? When it comes to love, shouldn’t there be no hindrances in terms of the law?
Unfortunately, many people think this way. That is why many problems crop up in a marriage. Couples are not open to the idea that there will be big issues in the future. When you do not consult with a family lawyer before getting married, you can get entangled in a web of financial and legal issues that could have otherwise been avoided.
Legal Requirements
Whether you want to get married in a church or at a courthouse, you would need to follow your state’s legal requirements and regulations. For example, you need to prove that you are not currently married to another person. Not many people know that there are many legal requirements to getting married. What happens to your properties? What are the requirements for migrant workers? Can you stay in the country permanently after you marry a natural-born citizen?
Responsibilities and Rights
Who should get alimony if, in case, you get divorced? What is alimony anyway? Sure, talking about separating when you are still planning to get married seems such a waste of time. However, you would not be thinking that way once you are screaming your head off because your spouse turned causes trouble later on. You need to know your rights regardless of whether your marriage will be successful or will end in divorce.
Prenup Agreement
You may have heard about prenuptial agreements from your friends or the movies or even from news about celebrities and millionaires getting married. It does not seem to be the type of agreement that you would need since you do not exactly have millions of dollars in your bank account. That is where you are wrong. Are you expecting an inheritance? Are you sure you want to share that with your spouse? How about the money you have saved all your life or the properties you have paid on your own?
It is not so much about being selfish as you being prudent. You do not know what will happen to your future as a couple. It is all right not to want to share everything you have now because people are naturally inclined to want to protect their possessions. This is why you need to talk to a lawyer to weigh your options and to know how to protect your assets, property, and even children just in case.
Only a lawyer can draw up a reasonable prenuptial agreement. Know that in some cases, this agreement might include arrangements regarding the custody of your children, as well as their partial rights on inheritance.
At the same time, there are various types of prenuptial agreements. Most do not include the income earned during the course of the marriage. Other types have provisions that will solely protect the money you will get from an inheritance.
Adoption
If one or both of you have kids from another marriage or out of wedlock, you and your partner will have to make plans on how your union would work. Are you going to adopt your partner’s child and vice versa? You need to figure this out with your lawyer. An attorney will guide you toward the most practical decision. They will even recommend a family counselor who can help you arrive at the right approach.
Adopting your partner’s child is not only a lot of work, but there could be legal impediments, too. What happens if the other parent does not want to let you adopt the kid? How can you navigate this predicament? A lawyer will explain the advantages and disadvantages of your decision.
What happens if one of you has problems conceiving? If you are planning to adopt a child either domestically or internationally, you would need to talk with a lawyer. You need a representative who will communicate with the social worker and the child adoption service from which will adopt a child. While this is a deeply personal process, lawyers are bound by their ethics not to divulge information about your case unless you tell them to.
Talking to a lawyer is not a priority for couples about to get married. It is quite understandable as you can be high in love. However, the stress of facing legal issues late on can be prevented if you consult with a lawyer now.
