As the modern family changes, so does family law. At Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, we are committed to finding fair solutions for all families in this rapidly changing legal world.
A generation ago, family law was fairly straightforward. In a divorce, custody typically went to the mother. The father paid support, usually alimony too, and got visitation rights.
Slowly, the law began to recognize fathers’ rights. Today, shared child custody is the norm unless there’s a reason one parent shouldn’t be in the child’s life.
Courts then began to address issues involving unmarried couples in long-term relationships, including those involving children. And while same-sex marriage is now the law of the land, on the legal front it’s still complicated.
Issues remain concerning child custody and what steps same-sex couples must take to make sure both are legally recognized as parents. The area of assisted reproduction continues to evolve for same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Many same-sex couples still must battle for retirement benefits, including Social Security and military pensions.
And, of course, some same-sex couples will choose to remain unmarried, just as some opposite-sex couples do. We can help put legal protections in place for both partners in these committed relationships.
A wide-ranging family law practice
At Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, we represent clients in a variety of family law issues, from traditional divorce to transgender name and gender changes on official documents. We assist in grandparents’ rights cases and in complicated military family law matters.
We can help unmarried couples, both opposite and same sex, make sure they have protection through domestic partnership agreements and other legal mechanisms. We can help all couples, straight or LGBTQIA, become parents through adoption. Our attorneys also can help take care of legal issues surrounding in vitro fertilization or surrogacy.
Burnette Shutt & McDaniel also represents clients in separations and divorces, with a goal of making an often-traumatic situation as smooth as possible.
Our family law team includes M. Malissa Burnette, who’s practiced for more than 40 years, and Grant Burnette LeFever, whose practice includes general family law as well as LGBTQIA rights and gender and name changes. Amanda S. Mueller, who has represented many clients in family law cases involving active and retired military personal, also brings experience with the state Department of Social Services to a general family law practice that enhances the depth of the team.