Many clients contemplating divorce have similar questions. Can I get full custody of my children? How will our property be divided? How much child support will I receive? To help clients get answers to their questions and make an informed decision, I offer consultations by phone or Zoom. To schedule your consultation call my office at (916) 250-1610 or book online through our website.

Litigation and Negotiation

Most clients want to hire an aggressive family law attorney, and that makes sense considering that most cases involve hearings and some cases even go to trial. However, it’s important to hire an attorney who is aggressive, but also knows that they’re doing. By that I mean hire an attorney who is aggressive when there’s a clear advantage, but who also understands that most issues can be settled, and who works toward settlement when it’s advantageous to the client. In fact, when attorneys are involved, it’s rare for family law cases to reach trial. By reaching settlement parties can save considerable legal fees to achieve a predictable result.

Child Custody

In California, child custody is one of the most contentious issues in family law. Parties understandably have strong feelings concerning how much time they have with their kids, and in some cases whether the other parent should even have visitation. It’s of little help that the California Family Code has a rather subjective test called the best interests of the child test used to issue custody orders while also giving preference to joint custody. (See Family Code § 3040). This multi-factored inquiry means that custody orders in contested cases will depend on the facts of the case coupled with legal advocacy.

Attorney Fees

Nearly everyone searching for a divorce attorney wants to know how much hiring a divorce attorney will cost. In turn, attorneys are frustratingly non-committal in their response, as the total cost of representation will depend on factors outside their control. For instance, the duration of representation and the divorce itself will depend on the parties. If a party initiates frivolous hearings, avoids service of process, and forces trial even when they won’t appear, that’s something your attorney can’t control. It’s frustrating, but an uncooperative party can drag out the process and create needless expense.

While it’s difficult to estimate the total cost of any divorce, I can explain my billing practices. Like many divorce attorneys, I charge a retainer fee and bill my clients by the hour as I work on their case. However, unlike many Auburn family law attorneys, I charge a low retainer fee that ranges from $1,000 to $2,500 when clients agree to pay future invoices by credit card. Also, my hourly rate is $325 and I don’t charge additional fees for credit card payments. Lastly, at the end of representation I return any unearned fees to my client which is often the balance of their retainer fee.

How Most Family Law Attorneys Bill Their Clients

California family law attorneys charge a retainer fee and bill their clients by the hour as they work, often in increments of 1/10ths of an hour. For example, if the attorney’s hourly rate is $325 and they work 3 hours on the client’s case in a month, the attorney will charge the client $975. (3 hours x $325 = $975). That amount is then either deducted from the retainer fee or charged to the client’s credit card.

Representing Clients in Sacramento and Placer County

I regularly represent clients in Sacramento and Placer County.