As a mum, your natural instinct is to make sure that not only your best interests are protected, but those of your family as well. That’s why it’s critical to work with a specialist in family law when you’re seeking legal representation in cases related to divorce, children’s health and medical negligence, and elderly issues.
Use this guide to help you identify situations in which you may need a family-friendly lawyer—and where to find one:
Medical Malpractice
One of the scariest scenarios a mum can face in her lifetime is when a doctor makes a medical mistake on your child. Clinical negligence cases involving children’s health include birth injuries, oxygen deprivation leading to cerebral palsy, and misdiagnosis or mistreatment of epilepsy. These types of cases may mean severe long-term consequences or loss of quality of life for your child, so it’s important to find a solicitor who understands the emotional, physical, and financial aspects of the case.
Divorce and Separation
If you’re starting the divorce or separation process from your spouse, there are many family matters you’ll need to sort out before the divorce can be finalised. You’ll need to work out a childcare arrangement and child maintenance fees, and divide up any shared money or property you have together as well. Divorce is never easy on children, but if you and your spouse can keep the negotiations non-confrontational, it will help ease the overall burden on your family. Look for law firms that specialise in collaborative family law or family meditation to ensure the divorce is as amicable and fair as possible.
Elderly Law
Unfortunately, elderly patients are vulnerable to a number of legal issues. Probably the biggest concern that can arise in this situation is the elderly patient no longer being able to make his or her own decisions about financial and estate planning, or being taken advantage of by a caretaker or family member. These legal issues may be left for family members to sort out long after the elderly patient has passed on, adding tension and stress to an already emotional period in your life.
Advice for Finding a Family Law Solicitor
Legal cases involving family-related issues can be complicated and emotional matters, so finding the very best legal representation is imperative to settling the case and moving forward with your life. If you don’t know where to start, you can get free legal advice from the Citizen’s Advice Bureau or Community Legal Advice, or begin your search for a solicitor on Onlymums.org. Questions you’ll want to ask before agreeing to work with a firm include how many cases like yours they’ve previously represented and how many of those cases were successful. If you’re dealing with a medical malpractice case, firms like Irwin Mitchell offer “No Win, No Fee” agreements to help ease your financial burden throughout the legal process.
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