Unfortunately, fathers believe that the law favors mothers in custody and child maintenance matters. Yet the law recognizes the importance of a child having a meaningful relationship with both parents. Work with a North Carolina father rights attorney to represent your interest in domestic relations matters.
What is a Fathers Rights Lawyer?
A father's rights lawyer is an attorney specializing in a wide range of legal services designed to help fathers navigate the family law system. Fathers' rights are parental legal rights regarding child support, custody, and visitation.
Within the context of an employed man, it may also regard the right to paternity leave and time off work to raise a child. After divorce, the father has the right to be consulted on school selection, medical treatment, name change, or any other decision about the child's upbringing.
What Does a Fathers Rights Attorney Do?
A father's rights attorney is a legal professional who helps you safeguard your parental rights and achieve specific objectives you may have according to a child's best interest.
When to Hire a Fathers Rights Lawyer in North Carolina?
You need to hire a father’s rights lawyer if you are a man who seeks to:
- Negotiate or renegotiate the terms of a parenting agreement
- Pay or get child support and visitation rights
- Establish, challenge or terminate paternity
- Challenge court orders obtained against you
- Be involved in a child's healthcare decisions
- Open adoption or custody cases
- Leave an inheritance for your children
How Do I Choose a Fathers Rights Attorney in North Carolina?
To choose the best father rights lawyer in North Carolina, seek recommendations. Ask family and friends if they have any lawyer of choice who handles either family law matters or father's rights.
Once you have a few options, contact them for an initial consultation. Family law and fathers' rights are complex fields of practice that require specialization. Every day, new cases are filed in a court, setting a precedent that changes the way judges in the future will respond to an issue with similar facts. It is crucial to work with an attorney specializing in fathers' rights to ensure they are constantly aware of the ever-evolving realities of family law. Further, ensure that the advocate has experience handling cases similar to yours.
How Much Does the Average Father's Rights Lawyer Cost North Carolina?
As of 2022, a lawyer for father rights in North Carolina costs between $4000 to $30,000, which will depend on factors such as:
- Experience - The attorney’s level of experience and the amount of time spent on the case will determine the professional fees your lawyer will ask. Your attorney is likely to charge an hourly rate of around $200 to $1000. In such an arrangement, the attorney will require a retainer from which the applicable rate will be deducted.
- Contested or uncontested - When a matter is contested, the parties do not agree to the terms of divorce or custody, and they have to go before a judge to make a final decision. Contested cases are more elaborate and expensive. If critical issues are agreed upon, the attorney may only require an initial deposit of about $1,500.
- The complexity of a case - Some cases may require an expert witness to explain complex and specialized aspects. For the child's best interest, the court may require that the parents undertake a child custody assessment that may entail interviews and tests at their expense.
- Administrative and miscellaneous fees - Other expenses such as filing fees, process servers, or mediation may increase the cost incurred.
Do Fathers Rights Attorneys Usually Charge for Consultations?
A North Carolina father rights lawyer may not charge for an initial consultation. The initial consultation is time for the attorney to listen to the facts of the case and front a legal strategy. Your attorney may also determine that they are not suitable to handle your matter and refer you to another lawyer. The attorney may choose to give you this information for free or charge even a referral fee for recommending that you seek the counsel of another lawyer. Always make sure you ask if the initial consultation is free or not before proceeding to engage the attorney.
