Bay Area Family Attorneys > San Francisco Family Law Attorney

San Francisco Family Law Attorney

Family law deals with the legal side of things related to changes in the family dynamic. These changes may be planned or emergencies, happening now or anticipated in the future, whether or not they ever happen at all. Marriages, births, separations, divorces, fights, disputes, and changes in needs and circumstances can all have ramifications on your relations with the most immediate members of your family. At CSY Family Law Group, you’ll find a team of talented, experienced and dedicated lawyers ready to advise you, assist you and represent you in all your family law needs. Our comprehensive family law practice covers wide-ranging matters such as divorce, prenuptial and postnuptial disputes, domestic violence, paternity, post-judgment modifications and enforcement, legal separation, cohabitation agreements and more. All our lawyers take a team approach toward helping you get the best result and meet your needs and goals. Call our experienced San Francisco family law attorneys today.

San Francisco Divorce Lawyers

Everybody’s goals in divorce are unique to their particular situation, but basically everyone wants to get through the process as efficiently as possible and with minimal emotional conflict. At the same time, it is vital to protect your rights and promote your interests in key areas such as the division of marital property, child custody, child support, and spousal support. Our San Francisco Bay Area divorce lawyers are skilled and experienced in high-asset cases involving complex division issues such as protecting or dividing stock, business interests, equity compensation, and more. Whether you are a Silicon Valley tech start-up entrepreneur dealing with venture capital and a looming IPO, or a working professional or spouse in Marin County or Oakland/East Bay, Cardwell Steigerwald Young LLP has the skill set necessary to look after your interests and ensure they are well-represented in the final judgment and divorce decree.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Disputes

Many couples today look to prenuptial and postnuptial agreements to strengthen their relationships, set expectations, avoid future conflict, and protect themselves in the event of divorce, separation, death or other life events. California law gives prospective and current spouses free rein to contract on a wide range of subject matters and fashion agreements that meet their particular needs, but there are still many legal formalities that must be followed, as well as certain forbidden subjects that can render a prenup or postnup void or unenforceable. These agreements may provide peace of mind for years, but when it comes time to enforce them, they might get challenged in court. With extensive experience in the courtrooms of every county in the Bay Area, you can count on CSY Family Law Group to represent your interests skillfully and effectively when you are seeking to challenge or enforce a marital agreement in the California courts.

Domestic Violence

If you find yourself in an abusive relationship or threatening situation, or you are embroiled in a heated divorce or child custody battle that you fear could erupt into violence, our domestic violence lawyers can move swiftly to protect you and your children from real or threatened violence. Emergency protective orders can be obtained quickly along with temporary restraining orders, but when longer or permanent orders are needed, the courts will hold an adversarial hearing and listen to arguments from both sides. We represent parties seeking or opposing long-term or permanent restraining orders and also understand the impacts domestic violence allegations and history can have on a divorce, child custody dispute or other family law matter.

Bay Area Paternity Attorneys

Unless the parents are married when their child is born or affirmative steps are taken to establish paternity through voluntary acknowledgment or court action, a child has no legal father and no legal rights to inherit or benefit from a father’s insurance, Social Security, etc. A mother might need to establish her child’s paternity before she can force child support, and a father will need to establish his parentage to assert any rights to custody or visitation he may have. There are many reasons to seek paternity and many ways to challenge it in court. Our experienced team of family law litigators provides zealous representation in paternity matters to protect your rights and meet your goals and those of your children.

Modifications and Enforcement, Relocations

Court orders in a divorce judgment are meant to be final, but family courts know that the needs of former spouses and children change. When the change is substantial and long-lasting, it only makes sense to go back to court and get court orders modified. We work with former spouses to negotiate changes to child custody and support orders based on a change in needs or income, and we provide litigation support as well in contested matters. Likewise, if one party is allegedly not following court orders regarding custody or support, our experienced courtroom lawyers are ready to provide strong representation for our clients in post-divorce contempt proceedings and other enforcement actions.

Legal Separation

Couples sometimes need a break from each other, a break that could lead to divorce, reconciliation, or a permanent arrangement of living apart when the couple chooses not to divorce for religious, financial, or other reasons. We’ll help you lay the groundwork for a successful separation by creating an enforceable agreement that protects your rights and meets your needs regarding property ownership and management, child support, spousal support, mortgage payments and other joint debts, and the myriad other factors married couples should consider when living apart. We’ll help you protect yourself and your kids, and make the separation work for you.

Cohabitation

If you are in a long-term or marriage-like relationship, it might make sense to take advantage of the many benefits married people enjoy in regard to taxation, property ownership, insurance, and more. We’ll help you make a binding agreement that works for you and establishes the rules for living together and what happens in the event of a breakup. We’ll also help you challenge or defend a cohabitation agreement in court if necessary. If you and your partner have a large income disparity, if one of you is leaving the workforce or giving up a career for the relationship, or if you are buying a home or other valuable property together, consider protecting your rights and interests with a valid and enforceable cohabitation agreement.

Contact Cardwell Steigerwald Young LLP Today

These are just some of the ways our family law attorneys help people in San Francisco and surrounding areas every day. For help with your California family law matter, call the San Francisco family law attorneys at CSY Family Law Group today.

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