What at the resources for victims of domestic violence?

There are several resources and facilities for domestic violence victims. The available facilities provide significant resources including shelters, counseling, advocacy, and 24 hour hotlines. Below is a list with contact information of facilities that I typically recommend to my clients that are victims of domestic violence.

S.A.F.E. House
www.safehousenv.org
24 hour hotline: (702) 564-3227
Emergency Shelter: (702) 564-3227
Counseling and Advocacy Center: (702) 452-4203

Safe Nest
www.safenest.org
(702) 646-4981
(800) 486-7282

Shade Tree
www.theshadetree.org
(702) 385-0072

Nevada does not have a formula to determine if you are entitled to alimony or how much alimony you will receive if you are entitled to an award. Several cases have provided factors that the Court is to look to in determining the extent of alimony if any. You should note that although there are factors for the Court to look to in making a determination, the extent of the alimony is discretionary to the Judge and each Judge varies as to their perception of the factors. Some of the factors are as follows:

1. The duration of the marriage
2. The age and health of the Parties
3. The earning capacity of the Parties
4. The financial condition of each spouse
5. The standard of living during the marriage
6. The contribution of either spouse as a homemaker
7. Education, skills, and training that each spouse obtained during the marriage
8. The income or career prior to marriage of the spouse that is to receive support
9. Each Party’s ability to support themselves
10. The marketability of each Party
11. The nature and value of the of the Party’s respective property.

Alimony is not a simple issue as there are several types of alimony (i.e. permanent, rehabilitative, lump sum). Furthermore, along with alimony comes a tax consequence. As such, to fully understand your rights and liabilities related to alimony, you should consult with a family law attorney.

Do I need to retain an attorney or can I represent myself in a family law case?

You can certainly represent yourself in your family law case; however, you must weigh the negatives and the benefits to representing yourself. Obviously, it is less costly to represent yourself and in some cases, proper person litigants may not experience any problems especially in non-litigated cases. There are also negatives to representing yourself. There are complexities to family law cases that proper person litigants may not be aware. Furthermore, in Court, proper person litigants are held to the same standard as a family law practitioner. A judge is not permitted to assist you with your case or provide you with legal advice. Once in the courtroom, you are on your own.

There are problems that many people face in the courtroom when representing themselves. I have observed many litigants in Court representing themselves and they frequently make the same mistakes. If you do choose to represent yourself in Court, do not interrupt the judge, make sure to filter what you say so as not to offend the Court, think through your argument prior to entering the courtroom, do not argue with the Court or the opposing counsel/litigant, speak only to the Court not the other party and STAY CALM.

I never recommend signing any documents or representing yourself in proper person without at least consulting with an attorney to become more knowledgeable as to your rights.

How do I calculate child support if one parent is designated primary physical custodian?

In a case where one parent has primary physical custody, child support is set pursuant to the non-custodial parent’s gross monthly income (before taxes). The gross monthly income is multiplied by a figure determinative by the amount of children subject of the relationship.
1 child = 18%
2 children = 25%
3 children = 29%
4 children = 31%
Each additional child, an additional 2%
Thereafter, the Court looks to the statutory presumptions and sets child support based upon whichever figure is less (the statutory presumption is multiplied by the amount of children). Please see Hanrattylawgroup.com for current statutory presumptions.
Once child support is determined, the Court can consider several factors (NRS 125B.080(9)) when adjusting the child support upward or downward. The factors for the court to consider are as follows:

1. The cost of health insurance
2. The cost of child care
3. Any special educational needs of the child
4. The age of the child
5. The legal responsibility of the parents for support of others
6. The value of services contributed by either parent
7. Any public assistance paid to support the child
8. Any expense reasonably related to the mother’s pregnancy and confinement
9. The cost of transportation of the child to and from visitation if the custodial parent moved with the child from the jurisdiction of the court which ordered the support and the noncustodial parent remained
10. The amount of time the child spends with each parent
11. Any other necessary expenses for the benefit of the child
12. The relative income of both parents

Although the statutory presumptions and adjustment factors still apply in joint custody cases, the determination of child support is different.

What questions should I ask a family law lawyer during my initial consultation?

1. How long have you been practicing? Please note that some great attorneys have only been practicing 5 years.
2. What fields other than family law do you practice? It is important to hire an attorney that practices frequently in family law. If they practice in several fields, family law may not be there primary practice which could impact their ability to achieve success. Review their website for truthfulness.
3. If you already have a judge, ask the lawyer their opinion of the judge. If you do not already have an attorney, ask which judges you want or do not want on your case. This will provide you with insight on how familiar the attorney is with the judges and family court in general.
4. Ask the attorney the negative and positives of your case. If the attorney guarantees your win….RUN! If the attorney is not honest with your negatives, they are not likely being truthful.
5. The amount of the retainer and their hourly charge and the hourly rate of their paralegal, or legal assistant.
6. Will they be handling the case themselves or will another attorney in the office be handling the case.
7. If your spouse has hired another attorney, ask the potential attorney their experiences with that attorney. Believe it or not, attorneys that get along may benefit your case as they can hopefully work together to settle the case or reduce the cost of attorney fees rather than having squabbling between the attorneys.

Obviously there are several more questions specifically related to your case that you will need to ask as these are just a few questions that may assist you in choosing the best attorney for your case. Meet with at least three attorneys and compare the answers.