Overview

Family law is a practice area centered around the most potentially upsetting and stressful events that may ever happen in a client’s lifetime. These are very painful and personal matters, which can prove to be incredibly difficult to navigate for those experiencing them. These matters can, at times, inspire less than typical behavior from otherwise reasonable, coherent, and mature adults. It is so very important when going through these processes to have a family law attorney on your side, representing you and your interests in your Clark County, NV case. A family law case of any type should never, ever be attempted without a trained and experienced attorney advising you and representing your rights. The stakes, as well as the odds of an irreversible mistake occurring, are just too high to take the risk.

Shelly Booth Cooley is a leading family law attorney in Clark County, NV, experienced in the art of handing very delicate and time-sensitive family law matters, like child custody, divorce, separation, domestic partnership, spousal support, relocation, adoption, guardianship, and visitation rights with respect and care. These highly emotionally charged issues can be sensitive in so many different ways to so many different people. Most folks are not exactly comfortable with sharing the most private and possibly embarrassing details of their romantic, family, and financial lives with a person they have only just met, whether that person happens to be a practicing attorney or not. It is completely imperative that you are able to find yourself a lawyer you feel you can trust and feel comfortable around to handle your most sensitive family law case both discreetly and respectfully.

A knowledgeable and experienced family law attorney at The Cooley Law Firm in Las Vegas, NV is exactly what you need to put yourself at ease and protect all your most important legal rights when it comes to the business of family law in Nevada. The issues that are at stake in a family law matter are just too precious to you to be left in the hands of the first attorney you find online or in a phone book. You need the best. 

If you find yourself facing a family law matter such as a divorce, an adoption, a separation, a child custody dispute, or a family court order violation, or if you need advice on what to expect when working through matters like child or spousal support, custody, domestic partnership, or adoption, call The Cooley Law Firm and speak to a top Las Vegas family law lawyer about your family law matter today. One thing is certain; you will not regret investing in a family law attorney to ensure that you will be treated fairly and your interests will be fully represented throughout the process of your family law case.

Adoption Of Children And Adults

Chapter 127 of the Nevada Revised Statutes governs actions involving adoptions of minor children and adults. Nevada law allows for the adoption of both children and adults…Read More

Alimony/Spousal Support

Unlike child support, there is no set formula for spousal support in Nevada, which means that the Court’s decision regarding alimony is discretionary. Legislative guidance is found in NRS125.150,which provides that “the court may award such alimony to the wife or to the husband, in a specified principal sum or as specified periodic payments, as appears just and equitable.”…Read More

Annulment

Nevada Revised Statutes 125.290 to 125.440 addresses annulment.

An annulment establishes that marital status never existed. Depending upon the circumstances surrounding a marriage, it may be annulled by the Nevada Courts.

A marriage may be annulled for the following reasons: Lack of Consent of Parent or Guardian (for a minor); Want of Understanding (i.e., gross intoxication, insanity, or mental disability, etc.); 3) Fraud (concealment of an issue central to the concept of marriage, i.e., inability or secret intent not to cohabit, have children, or have sexual relations); and Grounds for Declaring Contract Void in Equity (mutual mistake, undue influence, duress, negligent misrepresentation, etc.)…Read More

Assisted Reproduction (ART)

Nevada, unlike many states and countries, has specific laws governing assisted reproductive technology (ART). On October 1, 2013, the most current Nevada law addressing Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) went into effect. The law was placed under Chapter 126 – Parentage. Nevada’s ART law is progressive in that it is both gender neutral and marital…Read More

Child Custody And Visitation

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125C deals with child custody and visitation while NRS Chapter 125A addresses whether a Nevada Court, or a Court of another state, has jurisdiction to make child custody determinations…Read More

Child Support

In Nevada, parental child support obligations are governed by
Chapter 125B of the Nevada Revised Statutes. All parents have a duty to provide their children with necessary maintenance, health care, education and support, regardless of marital status. The duty of support continues until a child is 18 years old, or until a child is 19 years old if the child is still attending high school. A parent’s obligations to support a child may extend indefinitely for a “handicapped” child…Read More

Divorce/Dissolution Of Marriage

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125 addresses the dissolution of marriage. Nevada is a no-fault state which means that the reasons for the dissolution of the marriage are often inconsequential. As such, establishing blame for the failed marriage is not relevant to the divorce action. A Court will dissolve a marriage if a party claims any of the following causes of action: 1) Insanity existing for 2 years prior to the commencement of the action; 2) When the spouses have lived separate and apart for 1 year without cohabitation; and 3) Incompatibility…Read More

Domestic Partnerships

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 122A.010 established the Nevada Domestic Partnership Act, which went into effect October 1, 2009.  A “domestic partnership” in Nevada is a civil contract which grants domestic partners “…the same rights, protections, benefits, responsibilities, obligations and duties as…parties to any other civil contract….”  Although NRS 122A.100(1)(a)(1) includes a requirement that parties in a domestic partnership “Have chosen to share one another’s lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring,”a domestic partnership is not a marriage for the purposes of of Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution…Read More

Guardian Ad Litem

In a contested Family Law case, the Court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to focus on the best interests of the minor child(ren), and to assist the Court in ascertaining the child(ren)’s concerns, desires and needs with regard to the issues before the Court. When a GAL is appointed, the GAL represents the best interests of the child(ren) and is neutral (does not represent either party). Shelly is regularly appointed as a GAL by the Court…Read More

Guardianship

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 159 addresses Guardianships.  The need to establish a guardianship of a minor child may arise when a child’s parent or parents are no longer able to provide for the basic needs of the child, the parent or parents engage in the habitual use of alcohol or any controlled substance during the previous 6 months, or whether the parent or parents have been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude, a crime involving domestic violence or a crime involving the exploitation of a child.  If the child is over the age of 14 years, a written consent by the minor is necessary to establish the guardianship…Read More

Legal Separation/Separate Maintenance

The procedures regarding “Separate maintenance” actions, more commonly referred to as” legal separations,” are outlined in Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 125.190 to 125.280. Like a divorce, separate maintenance actions resolve issues regarding child custody and visitation, child support, division of assets and debts, and spousal support. However, separate maintenance actions do no dissolve the marriage. At the entering of a Decree of Separate Maintenance (the pleading that makes the separate maintenance action “final”), parties remain married to each other. It is important to note that a Decree of Separate Maintenance does not prevent either party from filing a subsequent action for divorce…Read More

Name And/Or Gender Marker Change

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 41 deals with proceedings to change names. Any person who desires to have his or her name changed, and/or a child’s name changed, must file a verified petition in the county in which the person, or child, resides. If a parent is seeking a name change of a minor child, a Guardian ad Litem must be appointed by the Court. While not a complete bar to a name change, a name change may be denied if the individual seeking the name change has ever been convicted of a felony…Read More

Parent Coordination

Parent coordination is a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process in which a mental health or legal professional with mediation training and experience assists high conflict parents to implement their parenting plan by facilitating the resolution of their disputes in a timely manner, educating parents about children’s needs, and with prior approval of the parties and/or the court, making decisions within the scope of the court order or appointment contract…Read More

Parentage

Parentage actions are governed by Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 126. Generally, unless a Court Order provides for the custody of a child, the mother of a child born out of wedlock has primary physical custody of a child…Read More

Premarital And Postmarital Agreements

Nevada has adopted the Uniform Premarital Act, which can be found in Chapter 123A of the Nevada Revised Statutes. Nevada Revised Statutes 123.070-123.080, permits spouses to enter into Postmarital Agreements…Read More

Termination Of Parental Rights

Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 128 governs Termination of Parental Rights matters.  In all termination of parental rights proceedings,”the continuing needs of a child for proper physical, mental and emotional growth and development are the decisive considerations in proceedings for termination of parental rights.”   The agency which provides child welfare services (Department of Child and Family Services), the probation officer, or any other person, including the mother of an unborn child, may file a petition to terminate parental rights.  Generally, a petition to terminate parental rights must be filed in the county in which the child resides…Read More

Relocation Of Minor Children

If physical custody has not been determined by Court Order, married and unmarried parents have equal custody rights regarding their child(ren), absent a judicial custody order to the contrary. When two parents seek custody of their child(ren) in an initial custody action, they begin as equals. If parents begin an initial custody action as equals, then-prior to a judicial order establishing otherwise-the parents are entitled to equal rights to their child(ren). When parents have equal custody rights of their child(ren), one parent may not relocate the child(ren) out of state over the other parent’s objection without a judicial order authorizing the move. The proper procedure is to file a motion for primary physical custody with a request to relocate outside of Nevada. Importantly, removal without consent violates the spirit of the law and may subject the offending parent to negative consequences…Read More