Family Law

The Bureau represents clients in all aspects of family law except adoptions and care and protection cases involving the Department of Social Services (DSS). Typically, we help clients obtain divorces, custody, or separate child support in situations involving domestic violence. As part of that process, we help clients secure protective orders against abusive partners, establish paternity, obtain and maintain custody of their children, and secure adequate alimony and/or child support.

Until 1997, the Bureau maintained a strict policy of not representing the non-custodial parent in domestic-relations cases because we believe that it is not necessarily a good idea to interfere with an existing family structure and it is not the best use of Bureau resources to become involved in intra-family disputes.  However, in 1998, the Bureau membership voted to create some exceptions to the policy. The Intake Committee reviews cases involving non-custodial parents who meet our exceptions very carefully before recommending acceptance.

For child support enforcement cases, we represent only plaintiffs in civil contempt proceedings for non-payment of support. Additionally, the Bureau rarely represents UIFSA plaintiffs or defendants.  UISFA (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act) is invoked when the spouse with a duty to support is in another state (and is not supporting or is not supporting adequately his/her child). The appropriate DOR (Department of Revenue) office has the duty to file UISFA complaints.