Kelley Law, LLC  

One of the most frequent reasons clients seek family law services is to assist with divorce or legal separation. Lawyers help clients understand their rights and obligations, navigate the complexities of dissolving a marriage, and ensure that their interests are protected.

• • Uncontested Divorce: When both parties agree on all terms, including asset division, custody, and support, attorneys guide clients through a streamlined and amicable process.
• • Contested Divorce: If disputes arise over finances, property, or child-related matters, legal counsel is essential for negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
• • Separation Agreements: Some couples choose legal separation rather than divorce. Lawyers draft agreements that define the rights and obligations of each party during the separation period.

Child custody is often the most emotionally charged component of family law. Attorneys work to ensure that the best interests of the child are prioritized, whether through negotiation or court intervention.

• • Physical Custody: Determining where and with whom the child will live.
• • Legal Custody: Establishing which parent has the authority to make major decisions for the child, such as medical care, education, and religious upbringing.
• • Visitation Rights: Arranging schedules for non-custodial parents, grandparents, or other relatives to maintain meaningful relationships with the child.
• • Modification and Enforcement: Addressing changes in circumstances or enforcing existing custody orders when necessary.

The financial aspects of family law are critical to the well-being of children and dependent spouses. Legal services in this area help ensure fair and timely support.

• • Child Support: Calculation and enforcement based on statutory guidelines, taking into account income, needs of the child, and parenting arrangements.
• • Spousal Support (Alimony): Establishing or modifying financial support for one spouse, considering factors such as the length of the marriage, contributions to the household, and earning capacity.
• • Collection and Enforcement: Assisting clients in collecting overdue support or addressing non-compliance.

Dividing marital assets and liabilities can be complex, especially in cases involving significant property, businesses, or investments.

• • Equitable Distribution: Lawyers help achieve a fair allocation of property and debts, whether through negotiation or court proceedings.
• • Complex Asset Division: For high-net-worth individuals, attorneys coordinate with financial experts to value businesses, retirement accounts, real property, and investments.
• • Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: Drafting and enforcing agreements that set out property rights and responsibilities in anticipation of marriage or after marriage has begun.

Estate planning is the process of organizing the management and distribution of a person’s assets during their life and after death. It ensures that an individual’s wishes are honored, their loved ones are provided for, and the impact of taxes and legal hurdles is minimized. Effective estate planning goes far beyond merely drafting a will—it encompasses a holistic approach to wealth protection, incapacity planning, and legacy preservation.

Kelley Law, LLC offers estate planning services and provides a broad array of legal counsel and document preparation designed to address the unique needs of each client. The following are key services commonly available:

Trusts are powerful estate planning tools that allow clients to manage assets during their life and control their distribution after death. Law offices advise on and prepare various types of trusts, including:

• • Revocable Living Trusts – Enable asset management and probate avoidance while the client retains control
• • Irrevocable Trusts – Offer asset protection and potential tax advantages
• • Special Needs Trusts – Provide for disabled beneficiaries without jeopardizing government benefits
• • Charitable Trusts – Facilitate philanthropic goals in a tax-efficient manner
• • Testamentary Trusts – Created through a will and activated upon death

Attorneys help clients select and structure trusts to match their objectives, whether those are to provide for loved ones, reduce tax exposure, or support charitable causes.

Drafting a legally binding will is the foundation of estate planning. Attorneys assist clients in:

• • Designating beneficiaries for assets, property, and personal belongings
• • Appointing guardians for minor children
• • Naming executors to manage the estate
• • Clarifying funeral and memorial wishes

Through careful, individualized counsel, law offices ensure that wills reflect the client’s intentions and comply with state laws, minimizing the potential for disputes or challenges.

A crucial component of incapacity planning, powers of attorney authorize a trusted individual to make decisions on a client’s behalf if they become unable to do so themselves. Law offices prepare:

• • Financial Powers of Attorney – For handling finances, property, and business matters
• • Health Care Powers of Attorney – For making medical decisions according to client wishes

Ensuring legally sound and carefully tailored powers of attorney helps families avoid court intervention and reduces the stress associated with unforeseen incapacity.

Advance directives, also known as living wills, specify the medical treatments a client wishes to receive or decline in end-of-life situations. Attorneys guide clients through:

• • Identifying and documenting health care preferences
• • Appointing a health care proxy
• • Complying with state laws and requirements

Such directives provide clarity for families and health care providers and ensure the client’s autonomy is respected.