Divorce & Family Law Attorney
During a family dispute, it is an emotional, difficult, and confusing time, especially when children are involved. We help you to have peace of mind and know that you, your family, and property are protected.
We can help you navigate a multitude of family law areas including:
- Divorce
- Paternity & custody issues
- Child Support
- Alimony
- Division of property & debt
- Prenuptial agreement & asset protection
Let us serve as your trusted, supportive legal counselor who will be your guide through the family law process. We will help you understand your rights, responsibilities, and liabilities every step of the way.
How We Help with Family Law
Divorce
A divorce is a large life change and a very stressful time. We can represent your interests and help you navigate all the complexities of a divorce including property division, custody arrangements, alimony, etc.
In Wisconsin, one spouse simply needs to testify that the marriage is broken. As a no-fault state, neither spouse needs to prove that the other did something wrong. A divorce may be filed jointly by both parties or alone where only one spouse initiates the divorce. If you cannot agree on child custody, child and/or spousal support, and property division, we can arrange a temporary hearing.
Once the divorce is initiated, there is a 120-day waiting period that provides time for us to exchange documentation. In the interest of obtaining the best possible result for you and your children, we may also take depositions, conduct discovery, or bring in expert services.
Following the divorce agreement, we will educate and empower you towards a positive and hopeful future. There are important changes to make to help you prepare for the future. We can help you: appoint a Power of Attorney in the event of incapacitation, make changes to the estate plan, be properly insured and be able to financially care for yourself, and ensure that assets are titled properly and beneficiary designations for life insurance, annuities, individual retirement accounts and qualified retirement plans reflect your wishes and goals.
Paternity & Custody Issues
Paternity involves legal action to establish the father of a child. Establishing paternity is a prerequisite to addressing custody, child placement, and child support. We can help you through the process of establishing paternity and its implication.
Custody arrangements are detailed in the divorce agreement of couples with minor children. When determining custody, the court makes the decision in the best interest of the child(ren) and whether the child’s physical, emotional, and mental needs are met. The court considers many factors including the parent’s wishes, the child’s wishes, location of homes, the child’s school, friends, activities, etc.
Wisconsin courts presume joint custody so that the children have regular contact with both parents. However, sole legal custody can be awarded in certain circumstances, such as when substance abuse is involved. If one parent is awarded sole physical custody, the court may require visitation rights for the non-custodial parent in the interest of promoting a healthy relationship with both parents.
We are dedicated to protecting our client’s parental rights and helping you achieve a beneficial long-term outline for you and your children.
Child Support
When children are in the home, the divorce agreement entails child support. Child support occurs when one of the parties is required to make monthly child support payments.
In Wisconsin, the court must enter a child support order in all cases that involve the judgment of divorce, separation, or paternity. The child support order details the spouse’s obligation to pay a necessary and reasonable amount to meet the support needs of the minor children. The process of calculating child support can be a complex process. We can help you navigate the child support process. If one party’s circumstances or income change, we can also help you initiate and modify the child support order.
Alimony & Spousal Support
The purpose of alimony is to avoid unfair economic hardship following a divorce. If one spouse was the primary financial provider for the family, the other spouse may be entitled to alimony payments.
Both parties’ needs and expenses are taken into account when determining spousal support. The amount, frequency, and duration of maintenance payments depend on many factors such as the need and ability of parties to pay, the age and health of spouses, the incomes of the spouses, the length of the marriage, etc. We can help you navigate the process of determining eligibility, calculating maintenance payments, and implementing the agreement.
Modification
After the divorce is finalized, situations may arise that require changes to the divorce agreement and/or child custody. We can help you modify the divorce agreement so that it aligns with your current needs.
Family Law & Divorce Resources
Legal Glossary
Wondering what a legal term means? Our glossary focuses on common legal terms related to estate planning, probate, trust administration, family, and asset protection.
I was extremely happy with both the professionalism and the results that were obtained for me. I was kept informed about the developments with my case and I understood what was happening the whole time.
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We will take a problem-solving approach to ideally reach an agreement, rather than having a judge determine the outcome. Studies show that families do better if they reach an agreement rather than having a judge decide for them. However if your spouse is not acting in a reasonable manner or is making unreasonable demands, we have strong and effective trial skills to protect your interests and rights.