Family Law
Few legal matters follow you home the way a family matter does.
Harp Law Firm, PLLC represents individuals and families throughout Mississippi in divorce, custody, support, and nuptial agreements. These cases carry real consequences for children, finances, and the years that come after, so we prepare them carefully and keep you informed at every stage. The first consultation is free.
Divorces
Mississippi recognizes two paths to a divorce, and which one applies has a great deal to do with how the case unfolds. An uncontested divorce, granted on the ground of irreconcilable differences, requires both spouses to agree to the divorce itself and to resolve every issue between them, including property division, debt, custody, and support. When those terms can be reached, the process is generally faster, less expensive, and far less adversarial.
A contested divorce proceeds when the parties cannot agree, whether on the grounds for the divorce or on the terms of the separation. These cases are heard in chancery court and often involve disputes over marital property, separate property, retirement accounts, business interests, debt allocation, alimony, and the custody of children. We help clients understand which issues are genuinely in dispute, what documentation their case will require, and what to expect from the court process, whether the matter resolves through negotiation or proceeds to trial.
Whether your divorce is agreed or contested, the sooner you understand your options, the better positioned you are to make decisions about them. Schedule a free consultation to talk through your situation.
Child Custody
Custody decisions in Mississippi cover both legal custody, meaning the authority to make major decisions about a child's education, health care, and upbringing, and physical custody, meaning where the child lives day to day. Courts weigh a defined set of factors in determining what serves the best interest of the child, and the specifics of a family's circumstances matter a great deal. We help clients present a clear, well-documented picture of their role in their child's life.
We also handle the matters that follow an initial custody order. Visitation schedules require detail to work in practice, particularly around holidays, school breaks, and travel. Circumstances change, and a modification may be appropriate when they do. When a parent does not follow the terms of an existing order, contempt proceedings are one avenue for enforcement. Relocation, denial of visitation, and disputes over decision-making authority are all common reasons families return to court, and we counsel clients on the options available to them.
If you are establishing custody, seeking a modification, or dealing with an order that is not being followed, we can walk you through what the process looks like from here. The first consultation is free.
Child Support
Mississippi calculates child support using statutory guidelines based on the paying parent's adjusted gross income and the number of children being supported. Courts may deviate from those guidelines when the circumstances warrant it. Support also involves questions beyond the monthly figure, including health insurance coverage, medical expenses not covered by insurance, child care costs, and the treatment of extraordinary expenses.
We assist clients in establishing support, seeking modification when incomes or custody arrangements change, and enforcing orders that are not being followed. Accurate financial disclosure is central to these cases, and we help clients assemble and present what the court needs to see.
Support questions rarely stay settled forever, and circumstances change. Schedule a free consultation to discuss establishing, modifying, or enforcing a support order.
Nuptial Agreements
A prenuptial agreement allows two people to decide in advance how property, debt, and financial responsibilities will be treated if the marriage ends. These agreements are frequently used to protect assets acquired before the marriage, a family business, an inheritance, or the interests of children from a prior relationship. A postnuptial agreement addresses similar questions for couples who are already married.
For an agreement to hold up, it has to be drafted with care, entered voluntarily, and supported by full and honest financial disclosure from both parties. We prepare these agreements for clients and review agreements that have been proposed to them, so that the terms are understood before anything is signed.
A nuptial agreement is easier to build thoughtfully than to fix later. Schedule a free consultation to discuss what makes sense for your circumstances.