Photo: Paige Cody / UnsplashDivorce and separation
- Family and estate
Divorce Legal Advice: First Steps and Common Mistakes to Avoid
General legal guidance for people considering or starting a divorce: documents to gather, protecting finances, children, filing, costs and mistakes that cause problems.
4 min read - Family and estate
How Divorce Works in the US: The Basic Steps
A plain-English overview of filing for divorce, contested versus uncontested cases, property, support and custody.
5 min read - Family and estate
Divorce Property Division: Community Property vs. Equitable Distribution
How states divide marital property in divorce, what counts as marital vs. separate property and how debts are handled.
4 min read - Family and estate
Who Gets the House in a Divorce? Options and Considerations
Common ways couples and courts handle the family home in divorce, including selling, buyouts and temporary occupancy for children.
4 min read - Family and estate
Retirement Accounts in Divorce: 401(k)s, Pensions and QDROs
How retirement accounts and pensions are divided in divorce and how a qualified domestic relations order works.
2 min read - Legal documents
Separation Agreements: Settling Issues Before or During Divorce
What a separation agreement covers, how it differs from a divorce decree and when couples use one.
3 min read - Family and estate
Military Divorce: Residency, Pensions and Special Protections
How divorce works when a spouse is in the military, where to file, protections for deployed service members and how retirement pay may be divided.
3 min read - Family and estate
Legal Aid for Divorce and Child Custody: How to Get Free or Low-Cost Help
How to get free or low-cost legal help with divorce, custody and child support, including legal aid priorities, court self-help centers and limited-scope lawyers.
4 min read
Children: custody and support
- Family and estate
Family Law Legal Advice: Types of Cases and Where to Start
An overview of common family law issues, including divorce, custody, child support, adoption, protective orders and guardianship, with guidance on getting started.
4 min read - Family and estate
Child Custody Basics: Legal vs. Physical Custody
How courts decide custody, the difference between legal and physical custody and how parenting plans and changes work.
4 min read - Family and estate
Modifying a Child Custody Order: When and How
When courts allow custody or parenting time changes, the substantial change requirement and how to petition.
5 min read - Legal documents
Parenting Plan Guide: What to Include for Co-Parenting
The contents of a parenting plan, schedules, decision-making, communication and holidays, and how to get court approval.
4 min read - Family and estate
Child Support Basics: How Amounts Are Set and Enforced
How courts calculate child support, how to ask for a change and what happens when payments are missed.
4 min read - Family and estate
Alimony and Spousal Support: Types, Factors and Taxes
How courts decide spousal support, the main types of alimony, how long it lasts and what changed for taxes.
4 min read - Family and estate
Establishing Paternity: How Legal Fatherhood Works
How paternity is established through acknowledgment, genetic testing or court order and why it matters for custody, support and benefits.
4 min read - Family and estate
Relocating With a Child After Separation or Divorce
Rules on moving with a child when a custody order exists, notice requirements and how courts decide relocation requests.
2 min read
Safety, adoption and guardianship
- Courts and claims
Restraining Orders Explained: Types and How They Work
How protective orders work, how to request one, what happens at the hearing and what a violation means.
4 min read - Courts and claims
Order of Protection vs. Restraining Order: Is There a Difference?
How the terms order of protection, restraining order and no-contact order are used and how each works.
2 min read - Family and estate
The Adoption Process: Types and Basic Steps
An overview of agency, private, foster care, stepparent and international adoption, plus home studies and finalization.
4 min read - Family and estate
Stepparent Adoption: Steps and Requirements
How a stepparent can legally adopt a stepchild, consent requirements, the court process and effects on the other parent.
2 min read - Family and estate
Guardianship and Conservatorship: How They Work
When a court appoints a guardian or conservator for a minor or incapacitated adult, the process and the alternatives.
4 min read - Family and estate
Grandparents' Visitation Rights: When Courts Allow It
How state laws handle grandparent visitation, the constitutional rights of parents and what grandparents can do to seek contact.
3 min read
Wills, trusts and estate planning
- Family and estate
Will vs. Living Trust: Which One Do You Need?
Understand the differences between a will and a revocable living trust, including probate, privacy, cost and when each makes sense.
5 min read - Legal documents
Last Will and Testament: What It Should Include and How to Make It Valid
A practical guide to the contents of a will, signing and witness rules, safe storage and when to use a lawyer instead of a template.
4 min read - Family and estate
How to Write a Will: A Practical Checklist
Steps to create a valid will, what to include, signing requirements and common mistakes to avoid.
3 min read - Family and estate
Power of Attorney: Types, Uses and How to Choose an Agent
General, limited, durable, healthcare and springing powers of attorney explained in plain language.
4 min read - Family and estate
Living Wills and Advance Directives: Planning for Medical Decisions
How a living will and a healthcare proxy work together to state your medical wishes if you cannot speak for yourself.
5 min read - Family and estate
The Probate Process Explained Step by Step
What probate is, how long it takes, what an executor does and which assets avoid it.
4 min read - Family and estate
What Does an Executor Do? Duties and Responsibilities
The main duties of an executor of an estate, from filing the will to paying debts and distributing property.
4 min read - Family and estate
Special Needs Trusts: Protecting Benefits for a Person With a Disability
How special needs trusts let a person with a disability receive money without losing benefits such as SSI and Medicaid.
4 min read
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer for a divorce?
Not always for a simple, uncontested divorce, but a lawyer is wise when children, significant assets, a business or conflict are involved.
How is child custody decided?
Courts apply the best interests of the child standard, looking at stability, each parent's role, safety and the child's needs.
How is property divided in a divorce?
Community property states generally divide marital property equally, and equitable distribution states divide it fairly based on factors.
What if I cannot afford a family lawyer?
Try legal aid, court self-help centers, mediation, fee waivers and limited-scope lawyers.
Do unmarried parents have custody rights?
Fathers generally need to establish legal paternity first. Then custody and support are decided by the court.