Divorce & Legal Separtion Options

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The court process for divorce and legal separation are quite similar. Therefore, our services noted below can be used for either divorce or legal separation. You may use either service below or a combination of services (see Unbundled Services below).

Attorney Services (Contesed Divorce / Traditional Service)
Our traditional attorney services in contested divorce or legal separation matters are flexible in payment options and we take the time to explain your options and the steps along the way. We are aggressive, thorough, and fair. We offer an initial consult at no charge (less than 30 minutes) or longer for our regular hourly fee. Also see the Divorce Process to understand the steps involved in divorce or legal separation.

Mediation
Resolve your disputes amicably and save money. Mediation is an effective way to settle your divorce related matters without prolonged litigation (and the cost and emotional drain) and yet still with the legal guidance from an experienced family law attorney. The mediator (attorney) acts as a neutral party, to help the parties reach mediated agreements on any or all issues in their divorce, including property (asset) division, debt division, child support, maintenance (alimony), and child related matters such as placement, custody and health insurance. The mediator will review your total current financial pictures, and discuss options for dividing finances - even options parties may not have thought of. This is where experience matters. Mediation will also cover child custody, placement and support. Mediation can be effective even where there is much disagreement on many issues. We offer a flat fee mediation package that includes assistance with the required court forms from start to finish of your matter, or hourly services as well to fit your individual needs. A mediator does not represent either party and cannot mediate any dispute where one party has been represented by that mediator (or law firm). Attorney Michelle B. Fitzgerald is certified in mediation and has mediated divorces for 11 years as part of her divorce practice. In addition to her certification, she has completed coursework in negotiations and settlement techniques, and was a previous high school mathematics and computer programming teacher.

Collaborative Law for Divorce
Collaborative Law is another option that allows parties to go through the process of divorce without the hurtful baggage that could go along with it. In a collaborative case, both parties chose a collaborative attorney and both parties agree up front to not litigate the case through court. The parties also sign an agreement to accomplish this commitment that becomes a court order. If either party then later decides to litigate, each party must seek new counsel and new professional advisors. It is common in a collaborative case to involve financial experts and mental health professionals. To learn more about Collaborative Law, go to the Collaborative Family Law Council of Wisconsin. You will note that Attorney Michelle B. Fitzgerald of Horizons Law Group, LLC is a member of the Council.

Uncontested Divorce (or Pro Se / Clerk Assistance)
If you and your spouse agree on ALL terms, our uncontested divorce service takes away the hassle of understanding the divorce forms and going to the courthouse to file your documents. Unlike other pro se divorce services, we provide full service, not a tutorial or instructions for creating your forms. Pro se services work best for parties who already agree on how to settle their issues (and have no questions on division of assets, child placement, etc.) or for parties who have very few assets and debts and do not anticipate any dispute from the other party. Call today for an appointment or for more information. Also see our Self-Representation for more information.

If you or your spouse cannot agree on terms or do not understand certain issues, we provide attorney services where you can consult with an attorney one or more times as needed, or hire one of our attorneys. We also provide options such as Mediation or Collaborative Divorce under both hourly or flat fee options.

Unbundled Services
You can use our clerk services AND consult with an attorney as needed. Or if you are handling your divorce on your own, you can use our attorney services as needed. What types of things can we assist with? Review of finances. Settlement ideas. Settlement response to spouse/spouse's attorney. Discovery assistance. Brief to court. Preparation of Exhibits for court. And more! You will be pleasantly surprised at how you can receive the assistance needed, yet continue to advocate for yourself. Coaching and consulting (unbundled services) during your divorce can be very effective if you choose to not hire full representation.

Divorce Forms
Divorce forms for pro se parties (no attorney) are now available on the Internet for all Wisconsin counties. If you need assistance with these forms (we recommend this as you will spend hours wading through them!), you can utilize our full-service pro se/clerk services or attorney services as listed above. To find the general state forms, go to our Self-Representation page or to http://www.wicourts.gov. Also see the Pro Se (Clerk) Assistance section above.

Legal Information & Other Divorce Resources
We have several brochures from the State of Wisconsin and the federal trade commission available in each of our offices. We also make our legal library available to the public, including Wisconsin case law (WI Supreme Court and WI Court of Appeals) and all state statutes (laws). Consumer use of the library/resource area is FREE. Consumers can also use our attorney reference binders complete with information, directions, and forms used by most attorneys at NO CHARGE. Copies of any information is only a small fee.

Take-a-Lawyer-to-Lunch™
Also too good to pass up! For the price of a lunch, you can have an hour of a lawyer's time. This is a great way to get to know a lawyer before hiring him/her for your sensitive legal matter.