A legal consultancy specializing in family law provides expert advice, representation, and support in various legal matters related to family relationships. These areas are often sensitive and involve complex emotional and legal issues. Below are the key areas of focus for a family law legal consultancy:

1. Divorce and Separation

• Divorce Proceedings: Assisting clients through the divorce process, including filing for divorce, responding to divorce petitions, and negotiating settlements.
• Legal Separation: Advising on legal separation, including the division of assets and liabilities, child custody, and support arrangements.
• Annulment: Providing guidance on the annulment process for marriages that are considered legally void or voidable.

2. Child Custody and Visitation

• Custody Arrangements: Advising on legal and physical custody arrangements, including joint custody, sole custody, and shared parenting plans.
• Visitation Rights: Negotiating and enforcing visitation schedules for non-custodial parents and other family members, such as grandparents.
• Parental Relocation: Handling cases where a custodial parent wishes to relocate with the child, which may affect custody and visitation arrangements.

3. Child Support

• Establishment of Child Support: Assisting in determining child support obligations based on income, expenses, and the needs of the child.
• Modification of Support Orders: Advising on the modification of existing child support orders due to changes in circumstances, such as job loss or changes in the child’s needs.
• Enforcement of Support Orders: Helping clients enforce child support orders when the other parent fails to make payments.

4. Spousal Support (Alimony)

• Determination of Spousal Support: Advising on the determination of spousal support, including temporary, rehabilitative, or permanent alimony.
• Modification of Alimony: Assisting with the modification of alimony orders due to changes in income, employment status, or other relevant factors.
• Enforcement of Alimony Orders: Enforcing spousal support orders and pursuing legal remedies when payments are not made.

5. Property Division

• Division of Marital Assets: Advising on the equitable division of marital property, including real estate, financial assets, retirement accounts, and personal property.
• Debt Allocation: Assisting with the division of marital debts, including mortgages, credit card debts, and loans.
• Complex Asset Division: Handling the division of complex assets such as businesses, stock options, and intellectual property.

6. Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

• Drafting Prenuptial Agreements: Preparing prenuptial agreements to protect assets and define financial arrangements in the event of divorce or separation.
• Postnuptial Agreements: Advising on and drafting postnuptial agreements to address financial matters during the marriage.
• Enforcement and Challenges: Representing clients in enforcing or challenging the validity of prenuptial or postnuptial agreements.

7. Adoption and Surrogacy

• Domestic Adoption: Assisting with the adoption process, including agency adoptions, private adoptions, and stepparent adoptions.
• International Adoption: Advising on the legal requirements and processes for international adoptions, including compliance with international treaties.
• Surrogacy Agreements: Drafting and reviewing surrogacy agreements, including arrangements for gestational and traditional surrogacy.

8. Domestic Violence and Protection Orders

• Obtaining Protection Orders: Helping clients obtain restraining orders or protective orders in cases of domestic violence, stalking, or harassment.
• Defense Against Protection Orders: Representing clients who are contesting or defending against the issuance of protection orders.
• Safety Planning: Advising on safety measures and legal remedies for victims of domestic violence, including custody and visitation arrangements.

9. Paternity and Parental Rights

• Establishment of Paternity: Assisting in establishing paternity through voluntary acknowledgment or court proceedings.
• Parental Rights and Responsibilities: Advising on parental rights, including custody, visitation, and child support obligations.
• Disputes Over Parental Rights: Handling disputes related to parental rights, including contested paternity cases and parental alienation.

10. Guardianship and Conservatorship

• Establishment of Guardianship: Advising on the legal process for establishing guardianship of minors or incapacitated adults.
• Conservatorship: Assisting with the appointment of conservators to manage the financial and personal affairs of individuals who are unable to do so themselves.
• Termination and Modification: Handling cases involving the termination or modification of guardianship or conservatorship arrangements.

11. Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

• Family Law Mediation: Facilitating mediation sessions to resolve disputes related to divorce, custody, support, and property division outside of court.
• Collaborative Law: Advising clients on collaborative law processes, where both parties work together to reach a settlement without litigation.
• Arbitration: Representing clients in arbitration proceedings as an alternative to traditional court litigation.

12. Parental Rights and Termination

• Voluntary Termination: Assisting with the voluntary termination of parental rights, often in cases involving adoption.
• Involuntary Termination: Representing clients in cases where parental rights are terminated due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
• Reinstatement of Parental Rights: Advising on the reinstatement of parental rights in cases where circumstances have changed.

13. LGBT Family Law Issues

• Same-Sex Divorce and Custody: Advising on legal issues specific to same-sex couples, including divorce, custody, and support.
• Adoption and Parenting Rights: Assisting LGBT couples with adoption, surrogacy, and parental rights matters.
• Domestic Partnership Agreements: Drafting and advising on domestic partnership agreements and cohabitation agreements for unmarried couples.

14. Elder Law and Estate Planning

• Elder Abuse and Neglect: Representing elderly clients in cases of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.
• Estate Planning: Advising on estate planning matters, including wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
• Long-Term Care Planning: Assisting with planning for long-term care, including Medicaid planning and asset protection.