Carson City & Douglas County, NV Family Lawyer

Divorce
Divorce is the ending of a marriage.  In Nevada, you can get divorced for any reason.  However, to be divorced here, you must have lived in the state for at least six weeks.  Once a person has asked for a divorce, they are entitled to it.  As part of a divorce, the court must generally equally divide any marital assets – this is anything you earned during marriage, including the income of both spouses – and equally divide any marital debts.  The court must also resolve any child custody matters.  

Separation
Legal separation is available in Nevada.  It leaves the parties legally married, but divides the marital assets and debts.  A legal separation may provide protection from the creditors of your spouse going forward.  We can discuss whether a legal separation or divorce is a better option for you depending on your circumstances.

Child Custody and Visitation
When a couple divorces or separates, there must be a child custody and visitation plan for any children of the couple.  Generally, the best interests of the child control in creating such a plan.  Most courts require parents to attempt to work out a parenting plan, unless there are extreme circumstances like domestic violence.  We encouraged you to work with the other parent to create such a plan.  You will be the parents of this child for the rest of his or her life.  You will be happier if you can cooperate to reach a custody plan, and cooperate to parent the child together.  We can help you craft a parenting plan, and talk about the legal and practical consequences of different plans.  We can also represent you in court if you cannot reach an agreement with the other parent.

Child Support
Child support is the right of the child, not the parent.  It is meant to provide for the basic needs of the child.  Nevada statutes provide that a parent must pay a percentage of their pre-tax income for support of a child, up to a maximum amount (based on income range).  A parent without primary custody or with joint custody may have to pay child support.  The child support guidelines change annually based on the Consumer Price Index.  We would be happy to discuss how child support can be calculated in your specific case.

Adoption
Adoption is adding a child to your family through a legal process.  It is a joyous event!  Adoptions can take place any time, even if the “child” is over 18 – so long as the parent is at least 10 years older than the child.  We love adoptions; it’s the best part of our job.  It’s very near and dear to our hearts.  We would love to help you experience the blessings of an adoption, and can help you navigate the entire process from terminating parental rights to completing an adoption.