If you’re looking for legal representation in a family law case in the Tallahassee area you should consult with Cowhey + Ward Attorneys at Law. The firm’s attorney Adam Cowhey takes a hands-on and passionate approach to every element of each family law case. He has extensive experience guiding clients through divorce proceedings and related civil cases heard before the Florida Family Court system. Additionally, Mr. Cowhey is a member of the Florida Family Law Rules Committee, which provides him additional insights into the practice of family law in the state, as well as the most up-to-date information on any changes to the laws.
Family Law Goes Beyond Divorce and Child Custody
When people hear the term “family law,” they typically think of divorce and child custody first. This makes sense because the breakup of a marriage and determining parental rights can prove highly complex and contentious, both in the home and in court. But family law goes far beyond the legalities of marriage and child custody. In fact, the Florida Family Court system provides legal resolution to various domestic issues that arise within families. Under state law, the Florida Family Court system has jurisdiction over:
- Marriage dissolution (legal separation, divorce, and annulment)
- Child support (whether connected with the dissolution of marriage or out of wedlock)
- Custodial care and access to children (includes custody, care, and access issues involving extended family)
- Domestic violence (includes dating violence, stalking, and sexual violence injunctions, as well as the issuance of protection orders against abusers)
- Emancipation of a minor (those under age 18 who want to marry or have other reasons for wanting to be legally free from parental control)
- Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (“long-arm-of-the-law” jurisdiction over non-resident child support debtors)
- Juvenile dependency (foster care and other measures to provide support to minors who have been abused, neglected or abandoned)
- Referrals to Children in Need of Services (CINS) and Families in Need of Services (FINS)
- Legal sanctioning of prenuptial, marital, and postnuptial agreements
- Termination of parental rights
- Paternity
- Juvenile delinquency
- Truancy
- Legal name changes
Family Law Can Transcend Into Other Legal Issues
While family law may seem fairly straightforward, some cases can evolve into broader legal issues with national implications. This can be seen in several precedent-setting U.S. Supreme Court cases, such as Loving v. Virginia, a family law case that the high court used to legalize interracial marriage in 1967. That case was cited numerous times as a precedent in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.
Or consider 1965’s Griswold v. Connecticut, a landmark 7-2 decision that essentially legalized the use of contraceptives while also boosting individual privacy rights. While ostensibly a simple family law case involving the legality of contraceptive use, the majority justices invoked provisions in the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments to formulate a right of privacy that superceded any bans against contraceptive use.
Griswold v. Connecticut also helped establish precedents that were used in Supreme Court cases that allowed birth control for unmarried children (Eisenstadt v. Baird), abortion (Roe v. Wade), right to same-sex relations (Lawrence v. Texas), and was also used to support the high court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
Most Family Law Cases Resolved Without Such Drama
The vast majority of family law cases resolve with relative ease and do not require further adjudication before higher courts. The Cowhey + Ward firm tend to handle many divorce cases each year, some of which can prove quite complex. The firm also engages in helping clients with administrative issues that require family court action. This includes prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, divorce order modifications, and enforcement actions. Mr. Cowhey also specializes in:
- All child custody issues
- Restraining orders and domestic violence injunctions
- Dependency action defense
- Contested adoptions
- Paternity
Of course, Cowhey is fully capable of representing clients for any family court matter, no matter how complex.
Contact Cowhey + Ward for Passionate Support of Your Family Law Rights
With decades of experience and a stellar record of helping preserve the legal rights of their Tallahassee-are clients, Cowhey + Ward Attorneys at Law stand ready to help you resolve your family law issue. To learn how Mr. Cowhey can provide you with top-notch legal representation before the Florida Family Court system, contact us today at (850) 222-1000.