Services

Flat Rates And Resource Packages

Separation and Divorce – individual clients:

We often hear clients say they “don’t even know where to begin” when facing a separation. And we know they’re worried about legal fees. We can act as your lawyers in negotiation, collaborative practice and court-connected settlement processes. We focus our considerable experience in helping you work things out – even when emotions are high and you are feeling hopeless.

We have developed an innovative Family Law Resource Package that gives you time with our legal team and a comprehensive guide to help you prepare for your work with us.

For a flat rate, you get:

• An initial meeting with our legal team so we can understand your needs and address those “burning questions” that are keeping you up at night.
• A comprehensive Workbook that will guide you to consider the important decisions you need to make and to help you better prepare for your work with us.
• A second meeting (usually 1.5 - 2 hours) with our legal team, to work through your more complex questions, identify areas where you need our help and areas you might be able to work out on your own. We will make recommendations for next steps, along with cost estimates and different options for payment – whether based on an hourly rate or a further Resource Package flat rate. It’s your choice!

Our Family in Two Homes is the ideal Resource Package for separating parents who are still raising kids.

Our Family in A Few Homes helps separating couples who have adult children.

Mediation for Separation and Divorce:

As a lawyer/mediator we act in a neutral role to help both you and your former partner work out an agreement of all the issues you need to address. Our Resource Package is intended to build in cost-efficiencies while also preparing both of you to address communication and conflict challenges that often get in the way of the discussions you need to have in order to reach agreement.

Our Family in Two Homes is the ideal Resource Package for separating parents who are still raising kids.

Our Family in A Few Homes is ideal for separating couples who have adult children or step-children.

This flat rate includes:

• A meeting (usually about an hour) with our mediator and each of you separately, so you can confidentially express your needs and concerns, ask questions about the mediation process and prepare for the joint mediation sessions. You will also get a list of information to gather – tailored to your family situation.
• A comprehensive Workbook for each of you to complete privately – on your own time. The Workbook will help you better prepare for the discussions you need to have in joint mediation sessions, including exercises to help you understand your communication and conflict challenges, your shared values and even your “money personality”.
• A first “joint mediation session” with both of you (usually 2 hours) where we will begin our work together to address your challenges.

At the end of the first joint mediation session, you will both be better informed and prepared to work towards agreement, so we can make an informed plan for the best way forward. We will be better able to predict the amount of mediation time you will need, and can work out an additional flat rate, or another payment plan.

Most separating couples need between 2 and 4 joint mediation sessions, but the amount of time will depend on your ability to communicate effectively, gather information and manage conflict. We will help you focus on the best future for your family.

Mediation to Plan For Your Future Together:

We have developed a Resource Package to help couples plan for their future together. Laws and norms are changing, and we want to help you navigate the sometimes difficult conversations that arise when you are consciously coupling.

Designing Our Future Together is a couple-friendly resource package to help you prepare for living together – married or not. The Resource Package starts with questions you can consider privately, and then, with our help. discuss:

• Communication styles;
• Money personalities;
• Values;
• Bringing in kids (or not);
• Blending families (bringing together the “step-kids”);
• Pets;
• Property;
• Estate-planning;
• Budgets and sharing of expenses;
• Legacies – extended families – intentions on death;
• Sensitively handling the “What if” conversations with confidence, trust and the knowledge that you took the time to take the best step forward; and
• Making decisions about formalizing any cohabitation, prenuptual, or other agreement.

We prefer to work with both partners – which means we are your mediators. We will ensure you connect with experienced lawyers who can give each of you independent legal advice before signing any legal documents.

Family Law

Parenting Plans: We respect that children are raised to thrive in many types of family configurations. Our role is to guide you through the discussion and decision-making process that will lead to a parenting plan that meets the unique needs of your family. We will draft the legal documents you need in order to formalize the arrangements you choose.

Child and Spousal Support: Support issues can be complicated and need to be handled with careful attention to your family’s unique situation. We take a comprehensive and practical approach to support questions, and we ensure that you consider all of the financial impacts, including how you will address changing circumstances.

Assets and Debts: Most people want to be fair about how they divide assets and debts after separation, but people usually have different ideas about what is fair. We will help you understand family property law, explore your needs and interests, and help you craft a solution that works for you and your family - now and into the future.

Wills and Estates

Estate Planning: We can help by drafting Wills, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives. Thinking about post-life planning can sometimes be daunting or even depressing and we find many people want to avoid these discussions. At WLG, we are comfortable asking the sometimes difficult questions that will help you make the best decisions. We want to ease your mind by putting your wishes into understandable and practical estate planning documents.

We want you to leave our office feeling better than when you came in, so you can go live your life to the fullest, knowing your family’s future needs are taken care of.

Estates Disputes: After the death of a loved one, you may experience conflict with family members over estate issues. Mediation is an excellent process to help families find fair and workable solutions, while preserving or improving family relationships.