General Information
Family Law
The term "family law" in California refers to all legal
matters related to marriage and divorce. It includes issues related
to unmarried domestic partners, couples contemplating marriage,
and adoptions. The majority of our clients are married couples
who have separated and wish to obtain a marital separation or
dissolution. We also work with couples to prepare premarital agreements,
and occasionally work with unmarried couples on cohabitation agreements
or issues.
Our approach to family law emphasizes cooperative negotiation
and resolution of disputed issues. We believe that family law
matters are best solved outside of a courtroom by parties acting
in good faith and fairly toward each other, and that matters should
be settled in a way that allows both parties to minimize their
expenses in the legal process. At the same time, we recognize
each person's need to feel that they have attorney who can be
a strong advocate if that becomes necessary.
We understand that the experience of separation can be stressful
and sometimes mysterious. We strive to make the process as understandable
and smooth as possible. Please do not hesitate to ask questions
about the process as they arise.
Fees
Hourly Billing Rates
| Nanette Stringer |
 |
$400.00 |
| Legal Assistant |
$100.00 |
- Secretarial services are free of charge.
- Extensive photocopies are charged at
$0.12 per page.
- Facsimile transmissions are $0.50 per
page.
- There is no charge for calls within
the Bay Area; long distance is charged if incurred.
The first appointment with our office typically lasts about an
hour and costs $400.00. It is designed to give you a general understanding
of the family law process in light of your individual circumstances,
and to give you a chance to ask questions about us and about your
situation.
If you choose to have our office represent you, a retainer (an
advance deposit into a trust account, against which fees and costs
are billed at the end of each month) will be set. The retainer
will reflect our best estimate of the initial work involved in
your case and will be subject to replenishment if the trust account
balance falls below a specified level. A detailed fee agreement
will be provided to you when you retain Nanette Stringer as your
attorney. Generally, litigation retainers are $5,000.00 minimum;
mediation retainers are $4,000.00; and mediation consultation
retainers are $3,750.00. We sometimes set a different retainer
amount if the case is extraordinarily complex or if the task is
quite limited.
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