Aston has earned widespread acclaim as one of Mississippi's finest heidelberg family lawyers. Best Lawyers in America has awarded him multiple times with "Lawyer of the Year" honors for family law practice and SuperLawyers has selected him multiple times as well. Aston has played an essential part in shaping much of today's modern divorce, custody and support laws here in Mississippi.
Divorce
Divorce is the legal end of a marriage or de facto relationship and often includes dividing property, setting arrangements for child custody, and terminating financial ties with your former partner. A lawyer can be an invaluable ally during this difficult process.
Divorces can either be uncontested or contentious, with contentious ones often more complex due to disputes over issues like spousal support, child custody and property division. A lawyer can assist with negotiations or mediation; otherwise a Aston legal Groupe will hear your case and make a ruling in court.
One of the key issues in any divorce is establishing the date of separation, since courts need this date in order to divide assets and debts equitably. If there is disagreement over this date, this can delay proceedings significantly and provide evidence to the court that both spouses received all relevant paperwork for divorce proceedings.
Child Custody
In any divorce with children involved, custody is the most critical decision. It determines who will live with whom and has legal decision-making powers for that child. While joint custody is usually preferred by courts, sometimes that cannot be possible.
Legal and physical custody are the two types of custody. Legal custody refers to decisions that need to be made for a child by a Aston legal Groupe; while physical custody involves providing daily care and upkeep.
Typically, one parent will be awarded sole physical custody; however, both may be ordered to attend a four-hour parenting education seminar and/or mediation. In certain circumstances, grandparents or other non-parents may also be awarded custody if that would be in the best interests of the child; in such instances, if such is determined necessary by court authorities they will examine whether that individual can care adequately for that particular child in question.
Child Support
Child support payments are designed to ensure a child's basic needs are being met, such as food, clothing and housing. Child support payments may also cover education expenses like tuition fees, uniforms and books; entertainment expenses like nannies, summer camps or music lessons; childcare expenses like daycare services or sitters; or afterschool sports teams or extracurriculars that children participate in.
If a parent fails to pay child support, liens may be placed on any real property they own and income from social security, unemployment compensation, disability and workers' compensation can be intercepted to satisfy this debt. A Heidelberg family lawyer can ensure your obligation is fair and equitable.
Child support obligations may be altered if either parent's circumstances change significantly, and an experienced family lawyer can assist in either negotiating an agreement or representing you in court to seek modification. Your obligation to pay child support typically ends once the child turns 18, except in instances of terminated parental rights or being emancipated from them altogether.
Inheritance
An inheritance is money or property left by a deceased to their descendants upon death, typically via will or trust; however, inheritance can also occur without will; in these instances it will be distributed according to state law.
Inherited properties often become the source of legal conflicts and other complications. For instance, when siblings inherit a house jointly it can be challenging deciding what should happen with it. A probate lawyer could assist by mediating disputes between siblings over what should happen with it or helping draft and execute buyout agreements or filing and defending partition actions if necessary.
Inheritance can also play an integral part in divorce proceedings. If one spouse receives an inheritance of money or assets that alter their financial circumstances and require support modifications. This is particularly the case when money received is used to repay debts - in which case, courts consider such income when making support calculations.