Best Family Law Attorneys near Clovis, CA

Just to file the necessary paperwork to initiate a divorce in California, the State requires you to pay a filing fee of $435. From there, it all depends on the individual case. Contested divorces are much more expensive than uncontested divorces. A contested divorce is one in which the couple does not agree on certain aspects of the divorce and they must rely on the court to settle the dispute for them. You are not required to hire an attorney to handle your divorce, however, many people do for contested divorces because so much is at stake. In Fresno County, nearly all attorneys charge hourly for their divorce services. Hourly rates range (that we have seen) between $250/hour to $400/hour. Each attorney working on an hourly basis will require a retainer to be paid up front. (For information on what a retainer is, see #1.) Contested divorces will surely deplete the initial retainer at least one time. The general answer is that divorce is very expensive and can easily cost thousands of dollars.

At Hawkins Law, Erik will work on your case personally. Anytime you have a question or concern you can call or e-mail him directly. We also have an amazing support staff of highly trained professionals. As your case progresses you may elect to meet with Mr. Hawkins or with one of his paralegals. Only Mr. Hawkins can provide legal advice and represent you in court, therefore, he will always be there helping you traverse the sometimes foreign and intimidating legal system.

Absolutely! We are here to help you when you need us. With advance notice we can schedule your appointments after traditional business hours or even on Saturdays. There is no extra charge for these meetings. We know that our clients work hard and we want to make this process as easy as we can.

Erik takes great pride in being available for his clients. Having said that, he is a family man first. If you need to speak with Erik but cannot catch him during business hours, he will call you back that same night after his children go to bed. That is why we always ask how late we can return your calls. If for some reason you cannot speak in the evening, Erik will contact you the following business day.

If you are already following a visitation schedule or have an Order to pay or to receive either spousal or child support, you can ask the court to change any one or all of these by filling out the following forms:FL-300 Request for Orderif it is a support Order, FL-150 Income and Expense DeclarationFL-105 UCCJEA These must be filed with the court clerk. Once they are filed they must be served on the other party and a Proof of Service must be filed with the court. Service of process can be done by mail (FL-335) or in person (FL-330), but there are limitations to each form of service so review the requirements for each form before deciding how to serve the opposing party with process. Include in your packet to the opposing party a blank:FL-320 Response to Request for OrderFL-150 Income and Expense Declaration