Family Law Lawyers Walnut Creek, CA
What do Family Law Lawyers in Walnut Creek, CA do?
People usually only think of family law lawyers when they are considering, or have decided, to change their marital status, establish or modify a child or spousal support order, or when they have custody concerns regarding their children. But they can do so much more.
Family law lawyers generally focus on the areas of law that have to do with marriage, dissolution (divorce), annulment, pre-marital agreements, post-marital agreements, transmutation of property (changing character of property from community property to separate property, or vice-versa), marriage settlement agreements, custody, parentage, child support payments through the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS), private agreements for child support, spousal support, adoptions, and division of assets incident to a divorce including homes, savings, 401k accounts, pensions, other retirements, and more. Throughout all these areas of law, a family law lawyer is be concerned with ensuring that their client’s legal rights and interests are preserved and that the best interest of any minor children are given top priority.
In the vigorous representation of their clients, top Family Law Lawyers in Walnut Creek, CA will be versed in family law as well as all necessary legal tools to get the information and results you need. Family law lawyers routinely engage in discovery to get important information from your spouse or financial institutions or medical offices, as a few examples. The retainer that an attorney will charge is dependent on the breadth of knowledge required, time the matter is expected to take, and diversity of work to be performed in your particular case. A top family law lawyer will get a good understanding of your matter in your initial consultation and offer much more insight as to what’s required, including the retainer required.
It’s a good idea for you to know what approach to conflict your potential family law lawyer tends to prefer before retaining them. Some attorneys are eager to litigate every small issue which can result in unnecessarily high-conflict divorces with astronomical legal fees that may have been unnecessary and could have been avoided. Other attorneys prefer very low activity, without a legal fight. The most effective is usually somewhere in the middle. No matter the approach, your family law lawyer should be your advocate in the matter, acting on your behalf looking after your interests, and being in continued contact with you. At the Law Office of Ariel Brownell, we believe a collaborative effort is the best way to begin every matter. If that is not successful, we move on to more aggressive litigation, as necessary. We have found this approach gives clients the best long-term stability and success. We believe in resolving family conflict, with heart.
There are also things your family lawyer should not do. You should not ask your attorney to file a claim against your spouse or other parent without for the sole purpose of harassing or maliciously injuring them or someone else. If your lawyer knows, or reasonably should know, that you are doing this, he or she must decline to represent you or terminate representation. You should not ask your family law lawyer to be dishonest with the other party or counsel about your matter. A lawyer has a duty to not knowingly make a false statement of fact or law to the court or fail to correct one that is later found to be false. The result of being honest and open with your attorney regarding the facts of your case, even if they seem unfavorable to you, is that your attorney will know best how to represent you going forward. This is of the utmost importance.
For a confidential consultation with one of the best Family Law Lawyers in Walnut Creek, CA, call the Law Office of Ariel Brownell. We’ll take the time to understand your case, your needs and desires, share with you the possible outcomes, and craft the best plan possible going forward. Resolving family conflict with heart is at the core of everything we do.