Representing Men in Divorce, Paternity and Custody Cases
Negotiating Spousal and Child Support, Custody Arrangements, and More
Course Details
- smart_display Format
On-Demand
- signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level
- work Practice Area
Family Law
- event Date
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
- schedule Time
1:00 PM E.T.
- timer Program Length
90 minutes
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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This CLE course will prepare family law counsel on the unique and complex challenges in representing men in a divorce, paternity or custody proceedings. The panel will offer practical strategies for male clients when negotiating settlements and seeking custody of children and payment of spousal or child support.
Increasingly, women earn more than their husbands and more fathers are staying at home with children, yet men rarely seek or receive spousal support. Almost a third of custodial fathers do not receive child support payments even when awarded. Despite changing economic dynamics, many men who seek child or spousal support must often overcome implicit biases and presumptions.
Counsel has a vital role to play in helping men negotiate for spousal support, from convincing a client to seek and negotiate for spousal support to combating lingering gender role stereotypes that favor mothers in custody and support determinations. Men can face thorny child support issues, such as determining child support where both parents split physical custody evenly, or where the mother has physical custody and also earns significantly more than the father. Men who were never married to their child’s mother face even more complicated issues.
Listen as our panel of experienced family law attorneys discusses strategies for representing men in divorce and custody proceedings. The panel will discuss issues such as modifying support obligations following a job loss and establishing or challenging paternity, and will offer advice for attorneys representing men on avoiding common pitfalls and strategic missteps.
- Child custody and visitation
- Establishing or challenging paternity
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Property division
- Common mistakes and strategic avoiding missteps
The panel will discuss these and other key issues:
- Preparing to negotiate for spousal support—investigating income, valuing services
- Leveraging assets to pay a lump sum alimony and receive a waiver of future alimony
- Negotiating tax treatment of alimony in divorce settlements
- Overcoming stereotypes and bias in settlement negotiations and court proceedings
