When you have questions as you’re going along, our attorneys will answer them for you. Included in your complete divorce package is a consultation for up to a half-hour for each of you. This will give you both the assurance that you understand your rights, obligations and options as you reach agreements in your divorce. (If you need further assistance beyond the half-hour, of course, we remain available to you for attorney consultation and mediation.)

We prepare all required court documents for both you and your spouse; our neutrality ensures our impartiality AND WE FILE ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS FOR YOU so you will not have to deal with the often confusing red tape of the courts. There is also no need to have a process server deliver papers to your spouse when you work with Divorce Helpline. This helps your spouse understand our neutrality and makes your case go more smoothly.

Our attorneys take responsibility for the accuracy of all of your papers, and we will prepare them in accordance with the highest legal standards, so that they will always be approved by the judge in your county. Your judgment will contain the settlement that you and your spouse have agreed upon. Since we handle all legal interaction with the judicial system, you are not required to go to court or even to see the judge.

If your case is already on file with the court, we’ll take the unfinished case and complete all your paperwork accurately and efficiently.

If you are interested in finding out more about our different complete divorce package, or would like to place your order for the package, please call our friendly customer assistance representative at Divorce Helpline, 1-800- 359-7004.
We look forward to your call.

In the collaborative process, you will have a team of dedicated professionals who will work cooperatively with both sides to help deal with all of the difficult issues that arise at the time of divorce. The team will consist of lawyers, and may consist of therapist and financial professional. The specifics of your unique divorce will determine the specific professionals you may need and you can use the various team members as much or as little as you like. The clients and professionals agree to stay out of court. This will help you arrive at a cooperative settlement that is the best result for both spouses. The settlement is written up and is just as binding as if you had gone to trial, but the terms of the settlement remains under your control.

The role of the collaborative team members can make a dramatic difference to you at this difficult time. Therapists who specialize in divorce issues can increase communication between you and your spouse, and if your children need help, the therapist can be of invaluable assistance. The financial professionals can value assets such as pensions, stock options, and business interests. Both spouses will benefit from retaining all professionals jointly, in a cooperative atmosphere, so as to get neutral, common sense financial tools for settlement of the case.

Collaborative divorce is especially helpful if your spouse has already retained an attorney. Your Divorce Helpline attorney will contact the other attorney so that both attorneys can commit to the collaborative model. Your attorneys will dedicate themselves to settling your case cooperatively, out of court.

The cost of collaborative divorce is often less than half that of an adversary case.

If you are interested in hearing more about collaborative divorce practice, we welcome your call to Divorce Helpline, 1-800- 359-7004.

You do not need to retain separate attorneys to participate in arbitration; you and your spouse may each represent yourselves as your own attorneys, “in pro per.” If you wish, one or both of you may seek advice from our consulting attorneys — this will give you guidance through the process.

The arbitrators in our office are Bill Woodcock, Hamid Naraghi and Charma Pipersky. Arbitrations are available only in person at any of our offices.

Among the advantages to arbitration over the traditional litigation process are that:

• arbitration costs less than half as much as a court trial,
• takes considerably less time
• the meetings are held in private as opposed to the public court rooms
• and you select the arbitrator as opposed to the random appointment of a judge who may or may not be familiar with family law

Arbitration is convenient in that it can be scheduled at the time you determine. As opposed to the courts, arbitration sessions have a calm and informal feeling. As in all of the work we do, we will always treat you with courtesy and respect.

If you are interested in finding out more about the possibility of arbitration for your case, please call our office, 1-800- 359-7004, and set up a fifteen-minute consultation with Hamid Naraghi, Bill Woodcock or Charma Pipersky. We can answer any questions you have about how arbitration works.

We look forward to helping you to resolve your divorce case through the use of arbitration.

You do not have to be best friends to mediate! Because communications are often difficult when your lives are changed by divorce, many couples simply assume that mediation will not work for them, and needlessly take their case to adversarial attorneys and to courts. The fact is, however, mediation is so successful that many judges require it as a way to avoid bringing your case to court. This is because they recognize that mediation is a powerful tool — the most logical and practical approach to problem solving.

The goal of mediation is to find the best solutions for both you and your spouse, solutions that are practical and can work for both of you. You will meet in our offices — a safe, neutral location where you can work with our trained attorney-mediator, who will help guide you to a mutually beneficial agreement. Or, if you prefer, mediation can take place entirely by telephone or via videoconference.

Since 1990, our firm has helped thousands of couples completely settle their case through mediation. We do not make decisions for you and we do not take sides. We know that “who’s right” and “who’s wrong” has nothing to do with resolving differences. We make sure that discussions remain respectful and objective, something that is often difficult for you if you are trying to work out financial arrangements on your own. Since we have worked with many couples in similar situations, we will offer ideas and solutions that may not have occurred to you; you will choose what’s best for you.

When you reach agreement through mediation, you control your choices, not the judge; no one forces you to do something that you don’t really want to do. You remain in complete control; your divorce will be resolved to your satisfaction. And the fees for mediation are typically only ten percent of those of an adversary case! It is truly a win/win situation.

If you are interested in finding out more about mediation, or if you want to set up an appointment, please call our friendly customer assistance representative at Divorce Helpline, 1-800-359-7004.
We look forward to your call.

At Divorce Helpline we firmly believe that you and your spouse are the best persons to determine the outcome of your future, so we concentrate on providing you with practical advice and helpful legal knowledge so that you can choose what is best for you and your family. Our attorneys can consult with you on the telephone, by video conference or in person at one of our convenient offices.

We offer you the ability to consult with one of our family law attorneys who will work directly with you as your educator, advisor and/or coach. If you want to know your rights, or need legal advice, or want to develop an overall plan for settlement of your entire case, your Divorce Helpline attorney will help you, either on the phone, via videoconference or in person. Your consultation may be a few minutes or a few hours, or you may wish to have many consultations — whatever works best for you. Since we are neutral to both sides, your spouse is also invited to consult with a Divorce Helpline attorney.

Our experience shows that your case will proceed more smoothly if both spouses have access to reliable information and are aware of their rights and obligations as well.  Don’t rely on well-intentioned friends or family members who are simply not qualified to give you advice.  Don’t rely on non-attorneys who are not qualified to provide you with advice or document mills that will pack your situation into pre-drafted templates.  Get reliable information for experienced attorneys in an interactive process that will address your unique situation.
You might want to consult regarding the following subjects:

• How to calculate support
• How to divide your debts
• How to handle your retirement or pension plan
• Divorce financial planning
• How to divide property without a fight
• The law of child custody and what will work best for your family
• How to handle stock options and employee benefits
• How to handle your real estate

Your consulting attorney will help you reach a fair settlement and help you resolve all issues, rather than prepare your case for trial. It is much less stressful than trial, more efficient, and less expensive. In California, when you reach settlement, a trial is not necessary; the judge in your county will approve your settlement, containing exactly the agreements you and your spouse have made.

Your attorney will guide you every step of the way. You will find that your consultations are relaxed, calming, and the information will be easy to understand.

If you are interested in finding out more about our services, or if you want to set up an appointment for an attorney consultation, please call our friendly customer assistance representative at Divorce Helpline, 1-800-359-7004.
We look forward to your call.