Family Law
A divorce proceeding can be a challenging event in your life. For this reason, we pay keen attention to your needs as we strive to meet your needs by:
Throughout this process, you can make smart decisions under the guidance of our attorney. We will consider your best interest as we devise various strategies to achieve your goals.
To make an informed decision about the division of property in a divorce, you must have a clear understanding of your rights and liabilities regarding your assets and/or obligations. For example, any property acquired during the marriage and prior to the separation of the parties involved is normally treated as community property.
Community property is subject to equal division unless there was a written agreement by the parties involved to do otherwise. On the other hand, gifts, bequests, or inheritances received before and during the marriage are considered separate property.
A divorce typically involves properties accumulated during the marriage. These may include the following:
- Real Estate
- Pension Funds
- Investments
- Debts
- Bank Accounts in Various Forms
- Insurance
- Other Assets That Could Be Concealed
Professional assistance may be necessary to determine the extent and scope of a party’s property rights to achieve a fair and equitable distribution. Reach out to us, and we will assist you.
One of the most important factors to consider in determining custody is the best interest of the child. When physical custody is awarded to one parent, his or her child is physically present the majority of the time. In this type of custody, day-to-day involvement of a parent may be required and subject to visitation orders by the court. On the other hand, if one parent is awarded legal custody, he or she will be responsible for the health, education, and welfare of the child. In some cases, the parents may be awarded joint or shared custody.
We have dealt with move-away cases, in which one parent who has legal and physical custody moves out of the state or country and takes the child with him or her despite the objection of the noncustodial parent. These cases can cause serious issues, which is why we do everything to the fullest extent of our abilities to resolve them effectively.
When deliberating on custody cases, the courts will take into account relevant factors such as the health, education, welfare, and maintenance of a stable environment for the child. Any factors that may be detrimental to the child will also be considered.
On the issues of support, the child’s needs should be met in accordance with the parents’ income, assets, and responsibilities. In other words, the two resulting households ideally must maintain similar standards of living as shared with the children.
By putting to work our experience as a family law practice, we have what it takes to provide you with assistance in navigating this complex legal matter. Reach out to us to learn more.
The courts may order temporary spousal support, most likely in the form of financial assistance. This is a measure taken in order to preserve the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage of the parties. Financial assistance may continue until the resolution of pending trials and subsequent distribution of assets and debts.
Typically, each party is required to provide information such as the statement of assets and liabilities, an income and expense declaration, and income tax returns. These documents, along with the duration of the marriage, are some of the most important bases for determining permanent and/or temporary spousal support.
The Law Office of Nina R. Bauer strives to discover factual information and credible evidence in order to determine the extent of earning capacity, the needs of each party, and the ability of a party to render support, among others. We will assist our clients by delivering a just and equitable result.
We assist men, women, and children who are vulnerable to domestic violence. In line with this, we can help in obtaining legal protection such as:
- Temporary restraining order for a period usually lasting thirty days
- Permanent restraining order usually to last for a number of years depending on circumstances
- Child custody, visitation rights, and monetary awards
- Access to immigration relief for immigrants who experienced domestic violence
Legal protection may include a court order to stay a certain distance from a person and refrain from direct or indirect contact. Our law office strives to make our services accessible to you. In addition, we do our best to inform you of all of your options.
Immigration Services
Who Can We Help?
The Law Office of Nina R. Bauer provides sound legal advice concerning the United States immigration law as well as representation to a wide range of clients seeking entry to the United States. The people we represent include but are not limited to the following:
We provide full-service, professional legal representation. Additionally, we offer legal assistance and counsel to meet our clients’ immigration and immigrant or nonimmigrant visa needs.
A green card indicates a person’s lawful, permanent residency in the US. Obtaining this document is the primary goal of our clients who are planning to enter this country. If you share the same goal, contact us today to arrange a free consultation.
Having lawful permanent residency enables you to live and work in the US indefinitely. However, obtaining this type of residency has become more complicated after the 9/11 attacks. For this reason, residency applicants need help in navigating the process. At the Law Office of Nina R. Bauer, we assist clients in obtaining permanent residence through the categories listed below within two main types of permanent visas:
1. Employment-Based Immigrant Visas
The Law Office of Nina R. Bauer will guide you in applying for employment-based visas. Through this document, staying in the US is permissible for:
- Immigrants with extraordinary ability in business, arts, or sciences
- Managers and Executives of multinational businesses
- Outstanding professors or researchers
- Immigrants with advanced degrees who are performing work in the national interest
- Immigrants with job offers and a bachelor’s degree or higher
- Immigrants with previous work experience
- Religious workers and ministers whose services are required by their not-for-profit, faith-based organization
- Immigrant investors with substantial funds invested in the US
PERM Process: Some employment-based applications require you to go through a process called Program Review Electronic Management (PERM). This is a procedure by which the US Department of Labor certifies there is a lack of qualified US workers in your job category. Once the labor shortage is certified, you can apply at the CIS level for your immigrant visa. We can help you navigate this procedure as well.
2. Family-Based Immigrant Visas
We can assist you in processing family-based immigrant visas. This type of visa is applicable to you if:
- You are an immediate relative of US citizens, such as parent, child, or spouse.
- You are the adult child—married or unmarried—of a US citizen.
- You are the spouse or unmarried child of a lawful permanent resident.
- You are the brother or sister of a US citizen.
- You are being adopted by a US citizen.
The Diversity Lottery Program provides new immigrant visas annually to individuals from underrepresented nations. This program is administered by the US State Department.
To benefit from this program, you are required to have either a high school education, its equivalent, or two years of work experience within the last five years in a job that demands two years training. Additionally, either you or your spouse must be a native of a nation eligible for the Diversity Lottery Program.
We can help you learn more about this program as well as other means of obtaining legal permanent residency in the US. Contact us today to arrange a free consultation.
If you wish to enter the US for a temporary period, a nonimmigrant visa permits you to travel to a US port of entry. Upon your arrival, you can request permission from the Department of Homeland Security to visit for a specific purpose such as:
- Work
- Schooling
- Conference
- Tour
- Visit to Family or Friends
A nonimmigrant visa allows a person to enter the US temporarily, whereas an immigrant visa holder can enter and stay permanently. The length of time someone can stay in the US depends on the visa status under which he or she is admitted—for example, specialty occupation.
Often, a person admitted to one status can change their status so that they can stay longer in the country or perform various activities. For instance, a medical school student may want to change his or her status to an employer-sponsored, nonimmigrant visa once they graduate and find employment—assuming their new employer will sponsor them. Several types of nonimmigrant visas also allow a person to extend their status and thereby extend their stay in the US.
The process can sometimes be confusing and complicated. Our firm can make it much easier by determining the visa category that is right for you. We can also assist you in changing your status from your current category to a new one.
In appropriate cases, we can also obtain legal status and work authorization for your dependent family members. The following is a brief list of the most commonly used temporary working visa categories:
H1-B Specialty Occupation
This nonimmigrant visa classification applies to an alien who will be employed temporarily in a specialty occupation, which typically requires a bachelor’s degree. Under the current law, there is an annual limit of 65,000 aliens who may be issued a visa or otherwise provided H-1B status. As many as 20,000 additional H-1B slots are available to holders of master’s degree or graduates of higher programs in the US.
L-1 Intra-Company Transfers
The L-1 visa permits multinational companies to transfer high-level and essential employees from their international offices to the United States. The nonimmigrant would work at the affiliate or subsidiary of that same employer in the US in a managerial, executive, or specialized knowledge capacity.
E-1 Treaty Traders
The E-1 visa allows an individual to enter the United States on a nonimmigrant basis for the sole purpose of carrying on substantial trade between his or her country and the US. The home country of the nonimmigrant must have a treaty with the United States.
E-2 Treaty Investor
If you come to the US to run an enterprise, in which you are invested, you may obtain the nonimmigrant visa status of E-2 treaty investor. If you are an employee of a treaty trader investor, you may also be qualified as an E-visa holder if your duties require special qualifications essential to the business. The nonimmigrant must have the same nationality as the alien employer. Additionally, the home country of the nonimmigrant must have a treaty with the United States.
O-1 Individuals of Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Highly talented or acclaimed individuals may be eligible for an O visa for entry into the US. People who may qualify for this visa include physicians, scientists, and accomplished businesspeople as well as athletes considered at the top of their field.
Trade National (TN) Professionals
These visas are limited to nationals of Canada and Mexico. If you are employed in one of the 63 listed professions in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), you can apply for nonimmigrant TN status. Most of the listed professions require either a bachelor's degree or a licensure degree.
R-1 Religious Workers
The R-1 visa permits religious workers to come to the US to take on a religious occupation and perform services for their organization. The religious organization must already be established in the United States.
Wills and Trust
We have the experience necessary to handle your wills and trusts. These include the following:
Contact Us
There are many other means of obtaining a nonimmigrant visa to the US legally. Call now for a free one-hour consultation.