Our Practice Areas
Annette Henry represents clients and conducts mediation in these areas
Family Law
Family Law includes cases of divorce, custody, child support, paternity, adoption, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Many people find themselves embroiled in one of these issues at least once in their lives, and it is often times the hardest thing they will ever have to face. When that happens, it is important to have confidence in the lawyer handling the matter and to be able to communicate effectively with the entire team.
Collaborative Law
Collaborative law is a process in which a married couple, along with their individual attorneys, enter into a written commitment to develop a workable, long-term settlement plan that addresses the interest of everyone involved. When there are children involved, the well-being of those children comes first. It is a team approach to divorce, and except for the filing of a petition and Final Decree of Divorce, the entire matter is handled outside of court. This process is designed for people who want a private, respectful end to their marriage. It creates an atmosphere of honesty, professionalism, open communication, and cooperation, allowing both parties to preserve their dignity while working towards a settlement that works for everyone involved. It is designed to balance power between the divorcing spouses and protect the rights of each individual.
Probate Law
When a loved one dies, the business of transferring assets to beneficiaries is handled through a probate. Whether there is a will or not, real property and assets in accounts are transferred to heirs through this process. From the initial filing through final division and transfer, we help families navigate this process in the simplest way available to them
Cases are resolved in the manner best suited for the client
The issues that have to be decided in a divorce case are 1) division of marital assets and debts; and 2) possession, access, and support for any children born or adopted during the marriage. If the parties were never married, we only deal with the child issues involved.
Some couples agree on these issues without the necessity of third-party intervention and go through an uncontested case. In such instances, one party retains our firm, advises us as to the agreements reached by both parties, and we streamline the process to finalize the divorce or custody case with the least possible cost and time involvement for the client.
Some couples cannot agree on any issue in the case and have to rely upon the Judge to make final decisions on these issues through a litigated case. In those cases, our lawyers work with the client to gather and present all the evidence necessary to present the client’s case to the Court or Jury. From the initial consultation, through temporary orders, until a Final Trial on the Merits, we guide the client through the process in an effort to achieve the client’s desired results.
Most couples fall somewhere in-between the two extremes of an uncontested case and a fully litigated case. While the case may initially be filed as contested, and the parties may go through a contentious temporary hearing, many times the issues are resolved later through settlement conferences or formal mediation.