Category: Family Law

Spousal Support LawyersSpousal Support Lawyers

Spousal Support Law

Mediation can be a practical option for many people who are pursuing divorce or involved in other family disputes— not just those who get along. Facilitated by a skilled lawyer, mediation can help resolve your case quickly, protect your privacy and save on costs. We pride ourselves on helping clients resolve divorce and family law cases through mediation.

Family law attorney has received divorce mediation training from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University and advanced family mediation skills training with the Mediation Center for Family Law.

Our firm provides mediation services for all types of divorce and family law matters, including child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, property settlement, allocation of debt and paternity cases.

Contact us today to discuss mediation and your case.

How Mediation Works

Mediation is a voluntary process where both parties — a husband and wife, mother and father or two domestic partners — retain a firm to assist both parties identify, resolve and settle their issues.

Our practice provides confidential sessions in the privacy of our offices in Arroyo Grande. We will guide the sessions, where each party will speak for themselves. We will prepare all necessary court paperwork and if an agreement is reached, neither party will ever have to enter a courtroom.

Through mediation, we will provide information to help you and your former partner frame the issues and make well-thought-out decisions to resolve all issues and bring the case to a prompt conclusion.

In a mediated case, the parties save a considerable amount of time and money by simply sharing information with each other rather than requiring dueling attorneys to drag it out of the other side or third parties. The mediator will guide the parties by providing specific instructions regarding the nature and extent of information that is necessary to resolve the issues in your particular case.

If you own a business or real estate, we can assist you with selecting expert witnesses such as a forensic CPA to place a value on your business or an appraiser to place a value on your property.

Is Mediation Right for You?

In a free telephone consultation, we will help you explore whether mediation is the best option for your case.

One of the benefits of mediation is you retain control — of the schedule, the cost and the decisions that will be made. You have a hand in shaping your future instead of letting a judge decide it. You can go at your own pace, taking the time to consider the long-term impacts of a decision. It is more confidential than litigation, and it saves the cost of having opposing attorneys fight it out in court.

When children are involved, mediation can begin a positive start to co-parenting.

Some disputes are unable to be resolved through mediation, however, and require litigation. We have extensive courtroom experience and can help you protect your rights.

Spousal Support Law

Keep in mind that litigation does not have to mean a fight to the finish. Simply because each party has hired their own attorney, an expensive trial is not inevitable. In some cases, attorneys can facilitate settlement of issues.

The situations where a party may need their own personal advocate include, but are certainly not limited to the following:

  • There has been domestic violence in the relationship.
  • One partner/spouse feels intimidated by the other spouse to the point it is impossible to comfortably negotiate in a mediation setting.
  • One spouse has a far superior knowledge and understanding of the parties’ assets and obligations.
  • There is a lack of trust between the spouses which cannot be overcome in a mediation setting.
  • The level of animosity between the parties cannot be overcome by one or both spouses.
READ MOREREAD MORE

Child Custody LawyersChild Custody Lawyers

Child Custody Law

Legal matters involving children require careful counsel. You want to minimize the impact of disputes on the children while protecting your rights. The decisions made about custody, visitation and child support will affect you and your children in the long and short term. It is important to have compassionate representation from a highly qualified attorney. We understand not only the legal, but the emotional and psychological aspects of family law cases.

Attorney has handled all types of family law cases. We can assist you with paternity, child custody and visitation, child support and step-parent adoptions.

Contact us today for a free phone consultation about your case.

Resolving Custody Disputes

Whether your custody issue is related to a divorce or another situation, we will help you find the best possible solution for your family. We have helped clients obtain and modify orders relating to legal and physical custody, joint custody and move-away custody arrangements, as well as custody modifications.

With strong negotiation skills, we can help you and your spouse or partner come to an agreement through mediation that will save you time and money and leave you and your reorganized family free to go on with your lives.

If mediation is not right for you, we have the familiarity with local courts and extensive experience to aggressively represent you in settlement negotiations with the attorney representing your spouse or partner. If settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, we will aggressively and competently represent you at trial.

Establishing or Modifying Child and/or Spousal Support

When there are disputes over child support or spousal support, we will gather evidence of each party’s income or their ability to earn income. Our priority is making sure a fair amount of support is being paid — whether you are the payor or the payee.

We can help with establishment of initial support orders and also represent you in modification proceedings. Child support orders often need to be changed due to a new custodial arrangement or change in income of one or both parties. Spousal support orders also may require modification based on changes in income, marital status, cohabitation or simply the passage of time. We also provide services in child support cases initiated by the Department of Child Support Services against non-custodial parents for establishment or modification of child support.

What if One Parent Wants to Relocate With the Children?

If you or your spouse plans to move out of the state with the children, there are many things to consider. If you have existing custody orders, they generally will need to be modified to allow the move. If there are no existing custody orders, you may need to petition the court for permission to move the children away from the other parent. Alternatively, if you are the non-moving parent, you may wish to ask the court to prohibit the move.

Move away cases can be complicated, requiring highly qualified legal counsel. We are knowledgeable about the law and an help guide you through the process.

Child Custody Law

Assisting with Paternity Actions

We are experienced with California paternity law and can skillfully assist mothers or alleged fathers in paternity suits.

In a paternity matter, we will make arrangements for a DNA paternity test, including obtaining an order for any refusing party to participate in the testing. Once paternity is established, we will proceed to gather evidence toward the goal of obtaining orders regarding custody, visitation and child support.

However complex your paternity matter may be, we can help resolve it through mediation or litigation.

READ MOREREAD MORE

Family Law AttorneysFamily Law Attorneys

Family Law

Divorce can be one of the most significant, stressful events in your life. It can lead to changes in lifestyle, location, and most importantly, parenting. When you are dealing with the uncertainties that accompany divorce, you need experienced legal representation to help guide you through the process and stand up for your interests. For over 30 years.

Contact us today for a free phone consultation about your divorce or family law issue.

A Caring, Competent Approach

We provide personal attention and skilled representation that is focused on your needs and the best interests of your children. Family law attorney has handled a myriad of cases, from uncontested, straightforward divorces to complex divorce litigation cases involving custody disputes and millions of dollars in assets.

Many clients find that mediation of their family law matter is their best alternative. Mediation is an out of court dispute resolution process designed to minimize the stress and cost of a divorce. Mediation can be a sensible, economical, efficient alternative to a hostile, contested divorce.

OR

Family Law

You may elect to hire your own personal attorney who will represent you only and provide confidential, essential legal advice needed to resolve your case. Even if both parties have their own attorney, you may still be able to resolve your case by way of settlement. If settlement is not possible after exploring all viable alternatives, we will vigorously represent you in Court. The divorce process can seem daunting. When children are involved, you may worry about the impact on them and their future. We give you information about what your options are and explain the next steps. We will lay out realistic expectations for your case and help you feel confident about what lies ahead.

Our goal is keeping you out of court if possible to give you, instead of a judge, control of your case. We focus on saving you money and protecting your confidentiality. When the end result would benefit you more than litigation, we fully explore all settlement options before engaging in contested litigation.

READ MOREREAD MORE