Practice Areas

At Diane S. Freed, P.C. I represent clients in virtually every type of family law matter, including:

• Divorce
• Legal Separation
• Annulments
• Child Custody & Allocation of Parental Responsibilities
• Child Support
• Spousal Support & Alimony
• Visitation & Parenting Time
• Paternity
• Prenuptial Agreements

Annulments

Annulment is a court procedure that dissolves a marriage, like a divorce. However, annulment treats the marriage as though it never happened. Some individuals feel that divorce carries a stigma, and they would rather their marriage be annulled. Others prefer an annulment because it may be easier to remarry in their church (such as the Roman Catholic Church) if they go through an annulment rather than a divorce. Annulments usually occur when the marriage has lasted only for a short period of time, and there are no children or significant shared assets.

Child Custody & Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

When deciding which parent will get primary custody of a child in a divorce proceeding, the court looks at many factors to determine the best interests of the child. These factors deal with the health, habits, and financial and mental stability of the parents, as well as the child's preferences and the stability of the home environment.

Visitation & Parenting Time

Often, one parent is awarded custody of a child with an order to allow "reasonable" visitation. While many divorced couples do well allowing the child enough time with each parent, occasionally visitation rights are not respected. Many courts require a detailed "parenting plan" outlining the time the child will spend with each parent.

Paternity

Individuals seek to establish the identity of the biological father of their children through court proceedings for many reasons. The father is usually obligated to provide some sort of child support to the mother or custodial parent. Determining paternity can also fix the right of the child to inherit. Once the biological father has been established, that individual usually has some rights to visitation of the child.

Prenuptial Agreements

A prenuptial agreement--also referred to as an ante nuptial or premarital agreement--is a contract a couple enters into before they marry. The contract usually describes what each party's rights will be if they divorce or if one spouse predeceases the other. Prenuptial agreements usually describe the property and support, if any, to which each party will be entitled.

Diane S. Freed PC
777 South Wadsworth Blvd.
Building 1, Suite 105
Lakewood, Colorado 80226
Telephone: (303) 462-0110
Fax: (303) 462-0207
E Mail: diane@dianefreed.com