Filing for divorce can be one of the most difficult decisions you could ever make. Other than the emotional stress from the many changes in your family life, divorce may also mean attending court proceedings; securing, filling out, and submitting documents; and of course shelling out some funds. Add to your list of headache triggers the complicated legalities surrounding family law that come in the form of terms and jargons that you may have heard before but don’t really make clear sense to you.
Being informed can make the whole process a lot less stressful. Haldanes lists down three of the most common family law jargons that you may encounter along the way as you file for divorce or any similar procedure.
Annulment
Annulment is defined as the decree legally declaring that a marriage is null and void. The process also involves several legal proceedings. Annulment is different from divorce because divorce essentially ends a valid marriage while annulment makes it look like the marriage never really existed.
“Best Interest of the Child”
The “best interest of the child” is often heard in situations that involve child support, custody, and visitation. When a couple decides to go for a divorce, the court looks at the child or children’s interest as their highest priority. It is basically the legal standard that dictates the best option for the welfare of the child or children.
Custody
Custody pertains to the legal right to have the parenting powers and duties over a child or children. When the family court awards the custodial parent the rights and responsibilities over a child, it means the parent has the sole right to decide on the child’s place of residence. At the same time, the custodial parent would be responsible for the child’s physical, moral, and emotional health.
There are many other jargons you might encounter along the way, but with an experienced family law attorney by your side, there is nothing to fret.
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