Sussex County Family Attorneys

If you are divorcing, seeking child support or alimony payments, or battling for child custody in Sussex County, arrange to discuss your circumstances and legal needs with a Sussex County family law attorney at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison. When you bring your family law case to us:

We handle the matter discreetly.
We protect your long-term best interests.
We bring your case to its best possible resolution.
We help you and your family move positively and constructively into the future.

We provide every client with sound, personalized advice and effective representation through every stage of the legal process.

If You Are Divorcing in Sussex County

Before you file for divorce in Sussex County (or if your spouse is filing for divorce), schedule a consultation at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison to discuss your rights with a Sussex County family lawyer.

Delaware requires divorcing spouses to provide the court with full financial disclosures. Abram, Gulab & Hutchison will assist you with the disclosure forms. We’ll also ensure that your spouse makes a full and accurate disclosure. Otherwise, assets that are rightfully yours could be lost.

But uncovering hidden assets is not the only reason Abram, Gulab & Hutchison should represent you. We help clients resolve disputes related to child custody, child support, and spousal support (also known as alimony), and ensure that the division of marital assets is fair and equitable.

How Do Delaware Courts Divide Marital Assets?

When divorcing spouses cannot agree on how to divide their marital assets, a Sussex County court will divide and distribute those assets equitably; in other words, the division of assets must be fair and just, but not necessarily fifty-fifty.

The court’s first step in a Delaware divorce is classifying a divorcing couple’s assets as either separate individual property or marital property. Marital property refers to the assets the partners acquired during the marriage, regardless of whose name is on the account or title.

Any assets the divorcing spouses owned before the marriage are separate property. Gifts to individual spouses and inheritances received by individual spouses are also separate, but separate property can be designated as marital if it is commingled with marital assets.

When an attorney at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison handles your divorce, you will receive the properties and assets that are rightfully yours.

Do You Anticipate a Child Custody Battle?

At Abram, Gulab & Hutchison, divorce is only one part of our family law practice. If a dispute arises over spousal support, child custody, parental visitation, or child support during or after your divorce, we will take the appropriate legal action on your behalf.

When parents can’t agree on their child’s custody, the court conducts a hearing to determine a custody arrangement. A parent wins custody by being the parent who can best facilitate the child’s best interests and well-being. At a custody hearing, a Sussex County judge may ask you:

Can you arrange a parenting plan or negotiate a plan with your child’s other parent?
Can you provide a safe and secure home environment?
How much do you know about your child’s education, interests, and activities?
Do you have access to consistent, dependable childcare?

Abram, Gulab & Hutchison will prepare you for a Sussex County custody hearing, accompany you there, and fight vigorously for your child’s custody.

Will You Need (or Make) Child Support Payments?

After a divorce, non-custodial parents in Delaware are required to make child support payments to the custodial parent to help support their children. The state’s child support guidelines are designed to minimize acrimony and promote the child’s best interests.

The guidelines take into account a child’s needs and the combined incomes of both parents. Payments usually terminate when the child reaches 18 or graduates from high school. If you need child support payments or are paying more than your share, speak with a family lawyer at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison.

Should You Consider Mediation?

Delaware courts require mediation for child custody, support, and visitation cases. Courts do not require mediation in divorce cases, but they encourage divorcing spouses to pursue mediation. An attorney at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison can prepare you for the divorce mediation process.

Mediation in Delaware lets divorcing spouses resolve their conflicts together and cooperatively. It saves divorcing spouses time and money, and helps them avoid a contentious court proceeding. At your first session, the mediator will explain the process and the rules governing it.

If mediation succeeds, the divorcing spouses prepare a written settlement agreement. A Sussex County family lawyer at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison can review your mediation agreement to ensure it is clearly written, effective, and enforceable by the court.

What If Your Ex Violates A Court Order?

We assist Sussex County clients who need a court’s child support, child custody, visitation, or spousal support order enforced. There are serious penalties for parents who violate child support orders, including driver’s license suspensions and wage garnishments.

If you are not receiving the child support or spousal support payments ordered by the court, or if your ex is interfering with or preventing your court-ordered parental visitations, Abram, Gulab & Hutchison can petition the court to enforce its order.

Can You Modify a Court Order?

A Sussex County family law attorney can help you modify a court order after a significant life change. A sudden illness, injury, or disability; a relocation; unemployment; the birth of a new child; or another significant life change may require modification of a court order.

Abram, Gulab & Hutchison will guide you through the modification process and work to ensure a favorable outcome. We’ll also represent you if your spouse seeks to modify a court order and you believe the modification is unwarranted, inappropriate, or not in your child’s best interests.

How Much Will Your Divorce Cost?

Mutual agreements are the only practical way to reduce the cost of a divorce. Disputes over child support, custody, spousal support, or who gets the family dog increase the cost. Depositions, subpoenas, transcripts, interrogatories, and discovery requests all add to the cost of a divorce.

It may take considerable effort to resolve a custody or child support matter. If the expertise of a child custody evaluator, financial expert, or property appraiser is required, that person must be compensated.

When divorcing spouses can agree, they typically pay less than those who cannot agree, but without knowing the specific details, it’s impossible to determine the exact cost of a divorce in Delaware. You’ll need to consult a Sussex County divorce lawyer who can review your case and circumstances.

Meet Abram, Gulab & Hutchison

With so many family lawyers in Sussex County and across Delaware, how can you select a family law attorney with the legal skills and experience you need? Look no further than Abram, Gulab & Hutchison.

We resolve family law conflicts through negotiation and mediation whenever possible. If necessary, we will take our clients’ cases to court to advocate for their best interests. We bring our diverse backgrounds, proven legal skills, and extensive experience to every client and case.

We proudly serve families throughout Sussex County, and we have considerable experience resolving complex family law disputes. To schedule your free first legal consultation with our family law professionals at Abram, Gulab & Hutchison, call our law offices at 302-405-7010.