Disputes and conflicts are often unavoidable in life. The definition of "family" is ever changing. And divorce and separation are never easy on anyone, particularly children. There are some steps you can take to make the process less painful and the results more certain. First, you should make appropriate plans before you live together or marry to govern the possibility of splitting up, and to remove property disputes and alimony issues from an already emotional and traumatic procedure. Secondly, the vast majority of divorces and separations are settled without a trial, and it is important for you to select a lawyer who has the time and ability to analyze and understand your personal, financial and business situations. Your lawyer must know the art of compromise and work effectively, but have the skill, experience and will to take your case to trial if necessary. We do.

We have been helping fathers, mothers, executives, professionals and business owners plan for and cope with the difficult problem of divorce and separation for over 27 years. We know when to negotiate, when to litigate, and how to get you a fair shake!

• Prenuptial Agreements
• Cohabitation Agreements
• Divorce and Separation Trials
• Marital Settlement Agreements
• Maintenance (Alimony)
• Child Support and Placement
• Property Division
• Wealth Preservation
• Business and Asset Protection
• Estate Planning

While our goal is to help resolve divorce and separation issues in a cost-effective and amicable way, there are times when aggressive action is necessary to get results for our clients. We have often used our expertise and tenacity successfully in family law litigation, including the following reported cases:

Child Support Payments and Credits, Statutory Interpretation Issues

In Re Marriage of Schulz v. Ystad, 155 Wis.2d 574, Consolidated (1990)

We successfully challenged a statute prohibiting courts from giving a spouse credits against a child support obligation for direct payments made on behalf of the children and former spouse. The Supreme Court upheld our claim that the statute did not prohibit adjustment of the support obligation where required by the circumstances and remanded the case to the trial court for determination of the amount of credit to be given. This decision resulted in new legislation governing the payment of support and the granting of equitable credits against support obligations.

Fiduciary Duty and Constructive Trusts Issue

Gorski v. Gorski, 82 Wis.2d 248, 262 N.W.2d 120 (1978)

We successfully defended the trial court claim that a family member had not fully accounted for the investment of funds allegedly entrusted to him by his brother. The Supreme Court agreed with our reasoning that there was no agency relationship created between the brothers, but held that there was a fiduciary duty arising out of the close family relationship to make a reasonable accounting. On remand to the trial court for further proceedings we facilitated a reasonable settlement of the dispute.