Christi L. Burda

If you are suspected of a crime or charged with a violation of law, you may require the services of a criminal defense attorney to present your defense or negotiate a penalty. You should seek a criminal defense attorney who has worked on your particular type of case to provide you with the best defense. An experienced criminal defense attorney knows what information the prosecution will need to prove your guilt.

If you are getting divorced and have children, any divorce agreement will involve determining where and with whom the children will live. A custody lawyer can help you negotiate custody, either by agreement or in court. The custodial parent (the one the child lives with) earns the legal right to make decisions regarding the child's lifestyle, welfare, and education. Some parents opt for joint custody, which means children divide their time between both parents' homes, and parents.

A divorce lawyer helps you if you no longer want to be married. Whether you want a legal separation or the marriage ended, divorce lawyers assist you to arrange financial and family matters, typically in a negotiation with your spouse's lawyer. Alimony, child custody, child support, and a fair division of community assets (like who keeps the house or how your checking and savings accounts are divided) are matters that a divorce lawyer is trained to help determine.