Divorce and Family
Overview
The Orr & Reno Family Law Group assists clients with a wide range of family law issues, including separation, divorce, parenting disputes, support issues, modification of orders, prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements and other matters. The resolution of family disputes requires a balance of expertise, efficiency, creativity and sensitivity. Our attorneys are skilled at resolving these difficult and emotional cases. Our clients expect and receive excellent client service, an accessible team, practical advice and carefully planned strategies to achieve outcomes consistent with their objectives.
Our attorneys have considerable experience handling substantial and complicated cases. Our cases routinely involve complex property division, tax, trust, business and valuation issues. The depth and experience of the Orr & Reno corporate, trust, real estate, employment and tax law groups adds significant value for clients in such cases, allowing clients to develop well-informed, creative and cost-efficient approaches to all issues presented.
Our lawyers are accomplished, recognized and well-regarded advocates who customize their approach to each case to meet the client’s goals, needs and expectations. Our attorneys include trained mediators and collaborative law practitioners who are widely recognized for their ability to resolve family matters outside of court through mediation, negotiation, collaborative law and arbitration. For many clients, a quick, efficient and cooperative resolution is the best possible outcome to a family dispute. For those cases that cannot be resolved amicably, we have an equally capable and experienced litigation and appellate team to aggressively advance our client’s interests. We recognize the critical importance of such matters to our clients and approach each case accordingly.
Practice Focus
Our practice focuses on all aspects of family law to include:
- Pre-divorce counseling and planning
- Divorce
- Legal separation
- Alimony
- Child support
- Parenting disputes
- Parent relocation
- Post-divorce modification
- Restraining orders
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Representative Matters
We represent many high asset families and high wage earners in cases involving complex asset and income scenarios, oftentimes involving business and real estate valuations. Our clients are business owners, partners, LLC members, investors, trust beneficiaries and W2 wage earners. We also assist individuals with less complicated finances.
FAQs
Alimony: Alimony may be awarded to a spouse, male or female, based upon statutory criteria. Need of one party and the ability of the other party to pay is a fundamental consideration.
Child Support: Child support issues arise in any case where there is a child under 18 or a child who has not yet graduated from high school. In certain instances, child support might be appropriate beyond the high school years. New Hampshire has adopted child support guidelines that are presumed to apply, but are subject to a variety of statutory factors that might support deviation from the guidelines.
Divorce: We work with our clients through every aspect of divorce from the planning or informational stage forward to completion and. in some instances, to a New Hampshire Supreme Court appeal.
Collaborative Practice: Collaborative Practice is a team approach to alternative dispute resolution that maximizes privacy and efficiency and is premised upon out of court resolution.
Legal Separation: The legal separation process follows the same legal process as a divorce and can result in alimony, child support and property division. The primary distinction is that the parties are still married when the case is concluded, though a legal separation action may be converted to one for divorce.
Mediation: We are firm believers in alternative dispute resolution, with mediation being perhaps the most common form of out of court resolution. Mediation is a process whereby the parties work with (or without) their attorneys and a third party mediator to resolve issues in a less formal setting. The goal is a final settlement agreement that addresses all issues. The mediator is not a judge and does not issue orders. Courts oftentimes order that mediation occur.
Parenting Disputes: Parenting disputes are handled in the context of married as well as unwed parents.
Post-Divorce Modification: When circumstances change, there is oftentimes a need to modify a court order, whether it be with respect to parenting time, relocation, alimony or child support.
Pre-Divorce Counselling and Planning: We counsel our clients on financial and strategic planning in contemplation of a divorce or legal separation.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements (drafting, review and enforcement): A Prenuptial Agreement is an agreement made between the parties before they marry to direct what will happen to assets and income after the marriage, or in the event of death. An enforceable agreement must meet certain procedural and substantive criteria. A Postnuptial Agreement is made between the parties after the marriage. Postnuptial Agreements are recognized in New Hampshire and must meet certain procedural and substantive criteria.
Relocation: Relocation cases arise when one parent wishes to move further away from the other with the children. Typically the Court will appoint a guardian ad litem to assist in the process.
Restraining Orders: Restraining orders may be entered at any stage of the proceedings and may be entered even before an action is filed to address a variety of emergency issues to include domestic violence and children being removed from the jurisdiction.
