Experienced Fresno Divorce Lawyer

Ending your marriage can be overwhelming and throw your life into a state of imbalance. Divorce can have a significant impact on not only your assets but also on your relationship with your children and all aspects of your future. The decisions you make during the divorce process can change everything and have effects for years to come. It is crucial to have the guidance of a skillful divorce lawyer who can help you navigate the legal process and move forward.

The Law Offices of Rick D. Banks can help you weigh your options and choose the right one for you and your family — as well as make the divorce process much less stressful.

Protecting Your Rights. Preserving Your Assets.

For most people, going through a divorce is one of the toughest times they will have to face in their lives. In California, a divorce can either be contested or uncontested — but it is not necessary to prove marital fault. Divorces in the state are “no-fault,” meaning that a spouse can end a marriage without having to demonstrate the other committed marital misconduct. While every divorce case is unique and involves a very different set of facts and circumstances, it’s important to have legal counsel who takes the time to fully understand your specific situation.

Depending upon the complexity of the issues that must be resolved, and the contentiousness of the spouses, a divorce settlement agreement may be reached outside the courtroom. In the event a couple cannot reach a settlement on their own, the court will be required to decide the outcome. But before a judge will issue a divorce decree, there are several issues that must be determined.

Our experience divorce lawyer team assists clients with all matters that must be resolved in a divorce, including the following:

• Alimony/spousal support — Alimony, also known as spousal support, is a court-ordered payment from the higher-earning spouse to the lower-earning spouse upon divorce to help ensure they are able to get back on their feet.
• Child custody — In divorces involving children, legal and physical custody must be decided. Each type of child custody can be either joint and belong to both parents or sole and belong only to one.
• Child support — By law, both parents are required to financially support their children until they reach the age of 18, or 19 if they are attending high school full time. Although parents can reach a settlement regarding child support matters outside of court, they can ask the court for an order if they cannot agree.
• Property and asset division — California is a community property state. This means that all property and assets acquired during the course of the marriage are presumed to be split equally between the spouses.
• Debt allocation — Debts acquired by either spouse while they were married are considered community property. This means they are the responsibility of both parties and divided equally in divorce.

The outcome of your divorce can have long-lasting implications for you and your children. To ensure your financial security in the future, it’s essential to have the representation of an experienced divorce attorney who can protect your rights and financial interests. With more than 20 years of experience, our divorce lawyers understand how challenging it can be for spouses to see eye-to-eye when it comes to the legal and financial issues in divorce. He is dedicated to working diligently to ensure your objectives are met and a successful result is achieved.

Knowledgeable Mediators and Negotiators for Divorce Matters

Not every divorce needs to be resolved in litigation. By utilizing alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as negotiation, mediation, or the collaborative divorce process, you can resolve the matters that must be decided in your divorce without judicial intervention. There are a number of benefits to divorcing by using one of these methods, including cost-effectiveness, privacy, flexibility, and having control over the outcome of your case. Alternative dispute resolution also allows you to divorce more amicably to help preserve the relationship with your soon-to-be former spouse — this is critical if you have children and will be co-parenting.

Alternative dispute resolution methods for divorce such as mediation, collaborative divorce, and negotiation are less adversarial than litigation and have high success rates. However, if negotiations fail or alternative dispute resolution isn’t right for your situation, you may have to resolve your divorce case in court. Whether your divorce can be settled outside of court or it must proceed to trial, an experienced divorce lawyer knows how to confront even the most challenging cases head-on. With a commitment to walking beside his clients every step of the way, Rick can help you avoid the pitfalls of divorce and overcome any legal obstacles that may arise.

Contact a Skillful Fresno Divorce Lawyer

Divorce can be emotionally, legally, and economically difficult. A compassionate and reliable divorce lawyer can make all the difference in the results of your case. Applying over two decades of legal experience in handling a wide variety of divorce cases, The Law Offices of Rick D. Banks has a nuanced understanding of California divorce law and is dedicated to assisting his clients with securing their futures. To schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss your case, call (559) 222-4891.