Family Law Mediation Attorney
Empowering families to make informed decisions
Law and Mediation Offices of Maureen A. Faria
Experienced Mediation Family Law Attorney
With over 36 years specializing in divorce, mediation, and other family law matters, Mediation Attorney Maureen A. Faria offers expert assistance to both men and women in the greater Placer County area from her Rocklin and Lincoln offices.
Welcome to Law and Mediation Offices of Maureen A. Faria
"Everyone should know their legal rights and options.”
Divorce Mediation Attorney Rocklin | Roseville
Please reach us at maureen@maureenfarialaw.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
In California, one of the simplest and least expensive methods to dissolve your marriage is through an uncontested divorce using a family law mediation attorney. You must, however, fulfill a number of conditions in order to obtain an uncontested divorce. Before ending your union in California, you must comply with residency criteria and fill out specific court paperwork, as required by law.
We have been specializing in quick, easy, and low-cost amicable divorces in California for over twenty five years. Our office in Rocklin is known as the best family law mediation attorney.
A divorce action is a lawsuit, and just like any other lawsuit, the filing spouse makes a request of the court and the second spouse must either formally respond to that request or not. When the second spouse responds, they file what is called a “Response.” At that point, the case becomes a contested matter. If the second spouse does not file a Response, the matter is then resolved either by default or as an uncontested divorce. The uncontested solution most often occurs when both parties have already decided on how the case is to be settled, they have an agreement as to the terms, and want to avoid paying the second “filing” fee imposed by the court, or have come to an agreement by negotiation or mediation. Their agreement is simply incorporated into the Judgment obtained by the filing spouse. An uncontested resolution is generally the quickest, easiest and least expensive way to obtain a divorce settlement. It is also usually the most beneficial especially where there are children. We are an experienced
divorce mediation lawyer Rocklin, CA
I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard the words “Yeah, I want to settle this thing, but WITHOUT LAWYERS.”
There are many possible reasons for people to say this, but two stand out above the rest: 1) they are afraid lawyers cost too much, or 2) they don’t want to chance the other side discovering the full extent of their legal rights and options that could create a greater burden for them. While the second of these is certainly not the “high road” position, it is a common symptom of divorce and those faced with the stress of uncertainty. But, while we can’t change a person’s intent to deceive, we can certainly mitigate the harm that could result.
The root of the problem with the legal system is the lack of necessary information by those going through it. The fastest and most reliable way to get this information is by talking with a lawyer. Often it takes less than an hour to learn what you need to learn to assure yourself of your rights and what needs to be done. Sometimes, these initial family law mediation consultations are offered for free, as I do with my clients. Even if you decide you do not need or want to retain a lawyer to represent you, the information you glean at the onset is invaluable and often essential to a obtaining a fair and equitable solution.
Failure to seek out this information from the start actually drives up the cost and often leads to mistakes that cannot be undone later on. These mistakes can be monetary only or they can result in devastating outcomes regarding the relationship with your children. The lack of necessary information drives up costs when people do not know what to expect, when they take untenable positions that have no chance of winning, or when they loose out on an issue they would have won if it had been timely raised. Some people resort to self-help books, which is a good place to start, but it is not enough and cannot take the place of sound legal advice from an expert. The law is complicated and gets more so each year. The rules intertwine and crossover into so many aspects of our lives that it requires constant vigilance to keep up and no book(s) can possibly anticipate all the possible scenarios.
Talking to a family law mediation lawyer at the earliest possible stage in the matter is the single best thing one can do to keep the cost of the matter as small as possible, and to assure a fair and equitable result. In fact, each party having a goodlawyer to help them actually keeps costs down and gets the matter resolved faster. Whether or not you need or want a lawyer beyond the initial information gathering phase is certainly up to you. And while this choice is often dictated by realities of life beyond your control, being empowered with the essential understanding of the law as it applies to your situation, at the onset, is definitely within your control.
So, in answer to “The Question?” Absolutely, Yes.
Under California Family Law, it is a mandatory obligation of parties in a divorce action to formally “disclose” to each other all information about their respective assets, debts, income and expenses. Failure to do so can cause significant financial consequences to the party failing to disclose. But if there is at least some disclosure, these penalties may not apply.
For example, in the case, In re Marriage of Georgiou and Leslie, Husband disclosed the nature of the community asset, but concealed its true value. The parties reached an agreement based in part on Husband’s representation of the asset’s value. Over a year later, Wife learned that the value of the asset had been substantially understated. But rather than immediately pursue her remedies to have the asset divided more equitably, she waited. In fact, she waited for over two years. Had she sought legal counsel at the time, she would have learned that she only had a limited time to fix the situation. Waiting over two years was too long, and she missed out on about $1.5 million as her rightful share of the community asset. Lesson learned: Ask, Ask, Ask, and do so as soon as possible.
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“Our goal is to guide you through the legal process to a successful resolution as amicably, quickly and inexpensively as possible.”
-MAUREEN A. FARIA
Law and Mediation Offices of Maureen A. Faria
6520 Lonetree Boulevard Ste 1022, Rocklin, California 95765, United States
Phone (916) 886-9819
Hours
Phone Hours:
Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Office Hours:
By Appointment Only
Law and Mediation Offices of Maureen A. Faria
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