THE COST
Addressing all issues arising out of a separation can be expensive - we understand that.
Various factors contribute to the cost of a family law case. Some are within your control while others are not.
What process you use to address the issues in your case is one such factor. If you are able to settle through dialogue with the assistance of two lawyers (one for each party), that is a much more cost-effective scenario than involving a judge in your dispute. If that lawyer-assisted dialogue stalls, settlement through FAMILY MEDIATION is always an option, and a much cheaper one than a trial in family court.
Your spouse's and/or their counsel's reasonableness in approaching the issues is another factor - this is one you cannot control. Modern family courts and family law lawyers understand the importance of settlement, for the short and long-term benefit of the parties and their children. Here, the selection of legal representatives by each side can have a significant impact on the pace of the case, and the related cost. An experienced family law lawyer will guide their client to a reasonable, timely and cost-conscious resolution of any issues.
The complexity of your case also impacts the related cost. A case involving parenting, support and property division will likely be more expensive than one in which a single issue needs to be resolved, for example, a change to a support arrangement. It is preferrable to settle as many issues in a family law case as possible, even if one or two legal issues need to be resolved by the court.
OUR APPROACH is to assist by actively addressing those factors related to costs which you, and we, can control.
THIS IS WHAT WE MEAN: - not every family law case should end up in Court (which is generally expensive and involves delay in resolution) and in fact, the vast majority should not.
You have options for how to approach your case, and many of these are far more cost-conscious than "straight litigation" (meaning, simply going straight to court). These include:
guided, direct negotiations between you and your spouse (where appropriate),
settlement discussions between counsel and/or in the context of a 4-way meeting (the parties and their counsel attend),
FAMILY MEDIATION, with or without counsel for both parties present (including evaluative/directive mediation) - here, even if attending the mediation without lawyers, each party MUST obtain legal advice in advance, or
mediation/arbitration.
WE WORK WITH YOU at selecting the best approach to your case.
PLEASE NOTE: AJ cannot be both a lawyer for you AND a mediator in your case. When you initially contact our offices, you will be asked to advise which area of her expertise you are interested in. Once AJ makes contact with you as a lawyer, she can no longer act as mediator, and vice versa. That is because doing so would place her in a conflict of interest position. As a lawyer acting for you, she represents YOUR interests. As a mediator, she is completely neutral vis a vis both parties to the mediation.