August 2019 - Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

family law attorney walking with colleagues

Selecting A Family Law Attorney In Santa Clara County

August 30, 2019/0 Comments/in Family Law /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

There are so many reasons to need a family law attorney. It’s important to choose the right one for your situation. If you’re in Santa Clara County, Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri can help. They specialize in family law and have collectively over 100 years of litigation experience.

Where Should You Start?

When looking for a family law attorney, you should find out if they specialize in your needs. Family Law is a broad area of expertise and most law firms with a focus in family law handle a range of cases such as…

These are just a handful of cases that a family law attorney works on. If you’re unsure if a family lawyer is right for you, contact Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri. They offer a free 30 minute consultation where they can answer your questions and determine if hiring a family law attorney is your best course of action.

A family law attorney in a meeting with a client in Santa Clara County

Are They Board Certified?

Along with specialization, you want to make sure whomever you hire is board certified. This means your attorney has extensive experience and credibility in their career. You can check if they are board certified on your state bar’s association website.

At Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri, they pride themselves on being experienced and board certified. This allows them to offer you some of the best legal advice in Santa Clara County.

Along with checking for board certification, you should hire someone who is highly reviewed. You can find reviews for lawyers easily by looking on yelp or google, and often law firms have a testimonials page.

Do They Have A Team?

You want to hire a family law attorney who has a team to work with. A law firm who doesn’t have a team of paralegals or other assistants runs the risk of being stretched too thin.

Family Law Attorney sitting with two paralegals

So, how can you tell if they have paralegals or other assistants? You will often find a page on the website with a list of attorneys who work at the firm. This will include other team members. For instance, LPEP Law has a page titled “Our Attorneys” that introduces the partners and attorneys in the practice.

The main thing to remember when hiring a family law attorney is to feel like your case is cared about. You want an attorney who will invest in your case and will work hard to get the best possible outcome for you.

Are they being honest about the reality of your case? Are they keeping you up to date with the progression of it? Do they empathize with you and share similar values. All of these are important questions to ask when considering a family lawyer.

Find out if Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri is the right choice for your situation. Set up a free consultation.

San Jose Divorce Attorney helps couple sign divorce forms

What Personal Information Do I Need To Prepare When Considering A Divorce

August 28, 2019/0 Comments/in Family Law /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

Separation and divorce are very difficult issues to navigate. If you are preparing for a divorce, there are a multitude of challenges that you must prepare for. However, having a knowledgeable San Jose divorce attorney – like the attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri – will significantly lessen your burden. When preparing to meet with a San Jose divorce attorney for the first time, it is important to gather and have available certain personal information.

A San Jose divorce attorney can help you gather the needed information for a divorce.

What Information Will You Need?

It is important have some basic information for both yourself and your spouse ready. Your full names, dates of birth, and social security numbers are a good start. Additionally, have both your and your spouses contact information, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Another important piece of information to have is a document showing proof that you are a California resident. This can be a mortgage bill or home utility bill for instance.

Other valuable information to gather in preparation of your divorce or separation include employment information for both yourself and your spouse. You should obtain the employer’ name, address, and phone number, for both you and your spouse. Gather information about the length of you and your spouse’s employment. This should include monthly or annual salary, and at least the last three income tax returns you filed.

What If Children Are Involved?

Regarding any children you and your spouse may have, there are a few things you’ll need. First it is important to have available a list of all children from the marriage’s names including the children’s dates of birth, social security numbers, and health insurance coverage. Additionally, it would be good to note what the current custody arrangement is between you and your spouse. If you anticipate custody being an issue during your divorce, vocalize this. Include if there are any children from a previous marriage for either you or your spouse. List their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and whether there is child support being received or paid for any of the children.

A parent helps a baby walk. A San Jose Divorce Attorney can help you with custody during a divorce.

Finally, if there is some additional information that will be of great assistance to the divorce attorney you meet, provide it to the attorney either before or during your first meeting. The date and place your wedding took place should be provided. Further, a list of any the marital problems involving alcohol or drug abuse, or domestic abuse, that led to divorce. Lastly, your attorney will need the name of your spouse’s attorney if your spouse is represented. They will need to know where to serve your spouse with divorce papers.

If you are separated and planning a divorce or simply considering your options, please contact one of the experienced San Jose Divorce attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri. We offer free consultations for new Family Law clients.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Grandparents with joint custody walking through the foliage with their grandchildren

Can A Grandparent Have Joint Custody Of A Child With A Parent?

August 23, 2019/0 Comments/in Family Law /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

The second season of HBO’s Big Little Lies was overflowing with entertaining drama. One of the leading storylines involved Meryl Streep’s character, Louise. She was a concerned and doting grandma fighting for child custody over Nicole Kidman’s character, Celeste’s twin sons. There were many scenes involving attorney meetings, legal strategy and exciting witness examinations in a gut-wrenching trial. But how much of what was portrayed on screen happens in real life? Could a grandparent in San Jose, for instance, fight for joint custody over their grandchildren?

The short answer is yes; especially with the help of a dedicated attorney at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri. However, this issue is somewhat complicated, so the help of a knowledgeable attorney in San Jose is crucial.

A grandparent holds their grandchild's hand. Joint custody for grandparents is possible with an experienced attorney.

What You Should Know About Grandparents And Child Custody

Parents have the legal right to the custody, care, and control of their children. However, there are many situations where a grandparent assumes the role of primary caregiver for their grandchild. Yet, a grandparent’s parental role in their grandchild’s life does not give a grandparent the legal right to the custody, care and control of their grandchild.

A grandparent can fight for child custody under California Family Code § 3041: “Custody award to nonparent.” Under this code, the court must make a finding that (1) granting custody to a parent would be “detrimental” to the child and (2) that granting custody to the nonparent is required to serve the best interest of the child. Because of this, it is less likely that a grandparent would receive joint custody. However, if this is a concern of yours, please contact an attorney at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in San Jose.

Although parents have a fundamental right to custody of their children, this right is not absolute. What is of upmost importance is the child’s fundamental right to have a home placement that is safe. They deserve a home that is stable, and permanent. It is up to the court to decide whether that be with their parents or grandparents. Potentially, the court could decide upon another third party. At the end of the day, the court bases its decision off what is in the best interest of the child. This “best interests” approach allows courts to comprehensively look at all circumstances in determining which home environment a child would be happiest and most successful.

Get In Contact With An Attorney

These issues can get extremely complicated and hard to understand. Therefore, if you or a loved one is a dedicated grandparent hoping to fight for child custody or want to learn more about joint custody options, please contact one of the dedicated attorneys at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in San Jose. You can set up a free consultation here.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

A parent holding their child's hand thanks to a child custody lawyer

Child Custody Attorney In San Jose, CA

August 22, 2019/0 Comments/in Family Law /by Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri

Child custody can be a living nightmare for most. The fight for custody can arise in many situations, from divorce to one parent moving away or mistreatment of kids. It’s important to get a family lawyer who can help you navigate this rocky time as smoothly as possible.

If you’re looking for a child custody attorney in San Jose, Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri is here for you. There are a few important things to consider when looking into a family law attorney.

Does The Attorney You’re Looking At Specialize In Family Law?

You need a lawyer who specializes in family law. If you have a lawyer who practices in many different areas, they won’t be well equipped to help you like you deserve. Choosing an attorney who deals with child custody cases regularly means they will know the ins and outs of the system that other lawyers won’t.

How Long Has This Lawyer Been Practicing Family Law?

Experience matters. How long have they practiced family law? How many child custody cases have they handled in the past 12 months? At a minimum, the lawyer you choose should have practiced family law for 5 years. Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri has decades of experience with family law. They know the ins and outs of child custody cases and most likely know about the judges in the area and their leanings.

What Court Are You Going To?

This may seem like a minor question, but it matters. An experienced child custody attorney in San Jose is going to know the courts and proceedings that go on there. More importantly, they will know of the different judges and council. They will know if a judge leans towards mothers more frequently or if they have any biases. This will work in your favor because they can help you build a stronger case. Find out how often your attorney has been to the court and how they can use this information to your benefit.

What Do Their Testimonials Look Like?

You can learn a lot about a lawyer from their customer testimonials. With the internet, it’s easier than ever to hear from all sorts of people what their experience was like. This means you can make the most informed decision. LPEP Law prides itself on being assertive, effective and compassionate with their clients and cases. You want an attorney who cares about your situation and cares about your kids.

How Do They Communicate With You?

A child custody lawyer takes notes in a meeting with his client

It’s all too common when hiring a lawyer, to talk to them once and after accepting your case, you don’t hear from them for months. You want an attorney who will stay in communication with you and keep you updated on how your case is progressing. Child custody is expensive and stressful. You want to know it’s in good hands and you want to be reassured throughout the entire process that what’s in your best interest is being done. A competent attorney will keep you in the loop.

Child custody is one of the hardest things you can go through, and it’s overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why LPEP Law offers a free 30 minute consultation. This can give you insight on how to move forward and what steps you need to take, specific to your case. You can schedule your free consultation here.

Please remember that each individual situation is unique, and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results. While this post may detail general legal issues, it is not legal advice. Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Selecting A Family Law Attorney In Santa Clara County

Where Should You Start?

Are They Board Certified?

Do They Have A Team?

What Personal Information Do I Need To Prepare When Considering A Divorce

What Information Will You Need?

What If Children Are Involved?

Can A Grandparent Have Joint Custody Of A Child With A Parent?

What You Should Know About Grandparents And Child Custody

Get In Contact With An Attorney

Child Custody Attorney In San Jose, CA

Does The Attorney You’re Looking At Specialize In Family Law?

How Long Has This Lawyer Been Practicing Family Law?

What Court Are You Going To?

What Do Their Testimonials Look Like?

How Do They Communicate With You?

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