In addition to dividing personal property, like automobiles, cherished antiques, and other belongings, sometimes there is a necessity to divide businesses, real estate, stocks, and retirement accounts. These needs sometimes require business evaluations, and appraisals in order to determine the proper values before the asset can be split.
Fehrenbach Taylor is practiced in accessing qualified professionals to obtain this necessary information so proper values can be provided to the court prior to distribution of the marital assets. Division of retirement accounts often requires the drafting of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). Fehrenbach Taylor Law Office frequently drafts QDROs for its clients.
Family Law Services
Collaborative Law
Collaborative law is the new divorce process sweeping the national legal community in which both parties agree to have their trained attorneys resolve the matter in place of the court system. Through a series of business meetings, both sides work together towards a settlement agreement which controls the costs and timing of the divorce process. This effective approach fosters communication skills needed for future co-parenting and with the voluntary motivation of doing “what’s best for the family.”
Child Custody/Guardian Ad Litem
During the course of a divorce proceeding, sometimes the use of a GAL (Guardian Ad Litem) is helpful in determining what is in the best interest of the child/children involved. A Guardian Ad Litem is either appointed by the court or retained by the parties privately to evaluate each party and the desires of the child/children in order to determine what is in the child/children’s best interest.
The Guardian Ad Litem is typically a non-biased attorney in the area who will make a recommendation as to custody and parenting time (formerly referred to as visitation) based on interviews typically with the parties, child/children, friends, family, employers, teachers, doctors, and other individuals involved in the lives of the children and relevant school and medical records. The court will then take into account the Guardian Ad Litem’s report to the court in making the final determination following a hearing.
Guide for Text/Email Communications with the Other Parent
- Check your email or phone regularly.
- Respond to all questions within 72 hours.
- Limit each email or text to 100 words or less.
- No cursing, put-downs, mean or angry words or tone.
- Prohibited words: always, never, harass, clearly, obvious(ly), crazy, insane, stupid, or nuts.
- Limit what you say to words that will help resolve the issue.
- Only 1 exclamation point per communication and only for something positive.
- Do not use ALL CAPS, bold, underlining, highlighting, or colors.
- If you want a response, ask a question and use a question mark(?).
- Never use a punction mark more that once (no??? or !!!)
- Focus only on the current matter.
- Do not bring up problems from the past.
- Limit communications to essential matters and information you are required to exchange.
- No more that 1 email per day unless there is an emergency or something time sensitive (answer needed in less that 72 hours).
