Most people know that family lawyers handle divorces. Some people know that family lawyers handle adoptions both within the country and from overseas. A few people know that family lawyers are the ones to talk to if you need a will or pre-nuptial agreement drawn up. There are some things that many people just don't think about when they think of a family lawyer.Forms: Very few people actually enjoy filling out forms. It becomes even more of a chore when you really don't understand what information the form is asking for. Lawyers can help you with forms. Even if it doesn't involve a case that they are working on for you, they can still give you advice and help when it comes to filling out forms. Even better they can help you to understand what information the form is asking for and why you need to fill it out.
Doctmentation: Like forms in a way, documentation can be lost or misplaced. Family lawyers can help you get copies of the documents you need. This could involve some of the documents needed when filing for a permanent residency, or documentation that the adoption of your child was legal. They can help you find copies of lost birth or marriage certificates. At the very least they can help you by telling you where to apply for them. This can be a confusing problem, especially if you have moved to a country other than the one you were born in.
Litigation: This means that they are willing and able to represent you in court. This could be in conjunction with a divorce case or it could be long after the divorce is over. An example of this would be if your spouse did not uphold support payments or visitation rights established during the divorce. The family lawyer could represent you in court to get the initial findings upheld. In other words they could take legal steps to ensure that your spouse paid his child support or allowed you to have your visitation.
These are some of the less obvious things that a family lawyer can help you with. Of course, they can also help with divorce, child custody, child support, separations, and adoptions. Perhaps the best way to look at this would be, if you are having legal problems that do not involve a crime, give your family lawyer a call and see if it is something he can help you with. The one criminal charge that a lawyer can help you with is cases involving abuse of you or your children. If this does apply to you by all means call your lawyer immediately.
Remember that lawyers are there to help you. They specialize in the cases that are most likely to be emotionally draining on you. Don't suffer alone; let a lawyer help you find a solution to your problems.