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Family Law Services
We offer customizable family law services to best suit your needs. From out-of-court resolution to litigation, we have you covered. Read more below.
Family Law Mediation
Family law mediation is a non-adversarial process to resolve most family law issues out of court, including divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, spousal support, paternity, parenting plans and property division. You and the other party have a series of meetings with a family law mediator who facilitates agreements. During the case, the family law mediator drafts, files and serves the necessary legal documentation. Since our family law mediation sessions are virtual (i.e., conducting by web meetings), we assist with family law mediation over the entire state of California! Visit our family law mediation page to learn more. You can also view the family law mediation and other videos, below.
Collaborative Law
Collaborative Law is another non-adversarial process to resolve family law issues out of court. It is similar to family law mediation, in that there are a series of out-of-court meetings that occur to resolve the issues. However, in Collaborative Law, you and the other party each have your own attorney. It is your own attorney who drafts, files and serves your legal documentation.
Litigation - Partial Service
Partial Service services may also be referred to as "unbundling" or "limited scope representation." As the name implies, Partial Service is when the responsibilities for the case are somehow divided between the attorney and the client. Why might you be interested in Partial Service? One of the main reasons is to help keep costs down. Simply stated, if the attorney is not responsible for certain aspects of the case as chosen by you, then you won't incur fees in those areas.
One of the most popular Partial Service arrangements with us is called "The Hidden Attorney." With The Hidden Attorney Partial Service option, your attorney will (typcially) draft documents and provide you coaching. The attorney does not become your "attorney of record." It is your name that is listed on legal documents, but it is the attorney who is drafting them. Thus, the name "The Hidden Attorney." In addition to minimizing the incurrence of fees, many people are attracted to The Hidden Attorney because they believe that, by hiding the attorney, it will help keep the peace between the parties.
Litigation - Consultations
Our consultation-only service is great for people that want to handle the case on their own, but would like some guidance or coaching from time to time. A good general rule of thumb is that you should consult with a family law attorney before you file a document and before you agree to something. With the consultation-only service, you do not retain us, so no retainer payment is made. You simply pay as you go by scheduling consultations whenever you feel the need. For example, before you file a legal document, you can schedule a consultation to have an attorney to review the documents and provide feedback. Trust us...it's better to get it right the first time rather than go into "damage control." Perhaps you want to know a good strategy for next steps or to find out WHAT the next steps are? Maybe you want some ideas for settling the case? Maybe you want to know how the law works with a particular issue? Maybe you have a full settlement agreement but you want to be sure you understand it or that it meets your needs before you sign in? Regardless of the reason, a consultation could be your perfect fit for your needs. Not sure? Schedule a consultation to get some guidance!
Litigation - Full Service
Do you not want to be bother with any aspect of your case and want the attorney to do everything for you, including drafting documents, negotiating with the other side and making court appearances? If so, Full Service may be right for you, although it is also the most expesive litigation option.
Other Family Law Services
Family Law Agreements
We assist with the drafting and review of many family law agreements, including premarital agreements, post-marital agreements, marital settlement agreements and cohabitation agreements (agremeents for non-married people who live together).
Adoptions
We assist with stepparent adoptions (both contested and uncontested) and adult adoptions.
Default Judgments
A "default proceeding" is when you file and participate in your family law case but the other party does not. Default cases are tricky and cumbersome and can result in a "prove-up hearing," which requires you to go to court and put on a trial where the other party may or may not appear.
Domestiv Violence
We assist with bringing or defending a request for a domestic violence restraining order.
Department of Child Support Services
We assist with child support cases where the Department of Child Support Services ("DCSS") is involved.
Post-Judgment Custody, Parenting or Support Modifications
It is not uncommon for one or both parties to want to change an order that is in a divorce or other judgment. Most commonly, this may be a child custody order, a parenting plan or a child or spousal support order. We assist with these requests in multiple formats, including mediation, collaborative law, consultion-only and litigation.