Unwed fathers in Arizona and elsewhere historically have had an uphill battle trying to have courts recognize and enforce their rights to be in their children’s lives. Yet the lack of a wedding ceremony does not render a man any less a parent. It is important for such fathers to realize that just signing a child’s birth certificate is insufficient to fully assert their parental rights. They must file paternity actions because in the final analysis, only a court can conclusively recognize his rights as a father, despite an obligation to support the child that can arise from signing the certificate.
One of many family law issues that couples who have children often confront following a divorce is that of applying for college financial aid. Making sure that this works out in the best way possible may even need to be factored into making intelligent, informed decisions about which parent college age children live with.
Many couples planning for their marriage may not want to think about the benefits of creating a prenuptial agreement. However, having a prenuptial agreement may be one of the best decisions you can make in the long run if your happy marriage ever turns into a contested divorce.
A prenuptial agreement allows a couple to discuss what would happen to their assets and property in the event of divorce before their relationship turns sour and it is difficult to communicate about anything in a civilized manner.
