Family matters can be complex and emotional, especially when children are involved. It is critical to understand your legal rights to ensure that the outcome is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of the children.
Scott F. Hess is a Maine Family Attorney that provides legal services to individuals and families going through a divorce or parental rights dispute. Our services include but are not limited to:
- Divorce
- Parental rights cases
- Mediations
- Motions to modify prior orders
- Protection from abuse / harassment
- Child protection matters
- Guardianship
Family matters can be complex and emotional, especially when children are involved. The court’s have the authority to determine rights of contact with children, residency, and child support. Property, real estate, interests in businesses, pensions, and personal property may also be subject to division. It is important to understand your legal rights to ensure that the outcome is fair, reasonable, and in the best interest of the children.
Sometimes the Department of Health and Human Services will receive a report of suspected child abuse. When this happens, parents are often faced with accusations that they neglected or abused their child by caseworkers. If this happens, you may be forced to defend against allegations that could have a significant impact on your relationship with your child and family. Sometimes, these accusations are based on inaccurate information, or worse, downright lies. But fighting back against the Department can be a daunting task. At the Law Office of Scott F. Hess, you can count on a central Maine lawyer who offers aggressive, unrelenting representation when it comes to fighting back against these allegations.
The state of Maine has set guidelines that are very rigid when it comes to child custody and support. Child custody must include both parents unless there is a compelling reason such as violence to prevent visitation or sharing of custody. Child support cannot be less than the state’s guidelines although it can be more. Our firm supports the best interest of the child at all times. We understand that when marriages dissolve there can be some acrimony but that it is in the child’s best interests to overcome it and create a safe custody plan that benefits the child and enables him or her to see their parents and continue with established relationships. We will always do our best for children who are going through a divorce because this is not an easy time for them.
Our Augusta, Maine family law firm understands this is not a happy time in your life and we want to help make it easier, quicker and less painful on everyone involved.
Annulments and Divorce
Maine is both a “no fault divorce” and an equitable distribution state, which means that a) there does not have to be a wronged party for the divorce to be granted, and b) that the courts have specific guidelines regarding the appropriation and distribution of assets.
Annulments are not widely used except in religious divorces so that one party may remarry. However, they are still performed in the state of Maine. The party annulling the marriage must have cause, this is usually listed as “fraud” which is why many people will object to an annulment. Our job as Maine attorneys is to help negotiate and navigate the sometimes murky waters that surround the dissolution of marriage.
Maine is both a “no fault divorce” and an equitable distribution state, which means that a) there does not have to be a wronged party for the divorce to be granted, and b) that the courts have specific guidelines regarding the appropriation and distribution of assets. Couples who have been married for a very short time can file for a simple divorce where there are no substantial assets to distribute. If the marriage has had many years behind it, the property will be distributed evenly. Maintenance, otherwise known as spousal support or “alimony” will only occur if there is a disparity of income and/or one party contributed in substantial ways to the upkeep of a home or life without the same level of opportunity to advance career-wise. A judge will take into consideration if one party worked while the other went to school and any professional licenses that one achieved while married and supported by the other partner when deciding maintenance.
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