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Practice Areas

Family and Inheritance

Overview

Family proceedings concern personal status and property disputes involving family relationships, marriage, divorce and relatives. Such matters often involve multiple interconnected claims and highly private information.

Because of their sensitive nature, family matters require careful, coordinated and discreet handling by experienced counsel. 21st Century Law Firm strictly observes its duty of confidentiality and works to achieve the best possible outcome for each client.

Principal Services

Family Matters Determination or modification of parental authority and custody; child-support claims; proceedings concerning biological or adoptive parent-child relationships; correction of family-register records; invalidation or cancellation of adoption or dissolution of adoption; related damages claims; and guardianship matters
Divorce Invalidation or annulment of marriage; divorce; claims for damages for emotional distress and division of matrimonial property; and damages claims against a third party involved in an extramarital relationship
Inheritance Qualified acceptance or renunciation of inheritance; division of inherited property; claims for recovery of the statutory reserved share; and wills and testamentary matters

Procedure (Divorce)

Because family proceedings differ according to the circumstances of each case, a representative divorce mediation procedure is outlined below. For information on other procedures, please refer to the relevant practice-area pages and our blog.

Filing of an Application for Mediation (Applicant) An applicant seeking an amicable divorce files an application for mediation.
Service of the Mediation Application (Court) The court serves a copy of the mediation application on the respondent.
Submission of the Response (Respondent) The respondent must generally submit a response within 30 days.
If no response is filed, the court may render judgment without an oral hearing.
Mediation Session (Court) The court schedules a mediation session in an effort to resolve the dispute amicably.
Successful Mediation Where the parties reach agreement, the divorce is concluded through mediation.