There is no such thing as an easy divorce or a simple child custody battle. However, there are easier ways to resolve family law disputes than contested litigation.
I am Ronald K. Stitch, a lawyer and mediator. My associate Stephanie Rose O’Connor and I have devoted our practice exclusively to family law. We can help you with divorce, custody disputes, or other family law matters.
Please call our law office in Westlake Village, California, at 818-707-0202 to learn more about how we can help you. We will tailor our mediation and legal services to meet your specific needs.
Well-Established Mediation Services
I, Ronald K. Stitch, am a mediator qualified by the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, for civil cases. Most people who retain my mediation services are going through a divorce. However, I also offer mediation services in post-divorce disputes and other family law matters.
A Full Range Of Family Law Services
My associate attorney and I can represent you in a wide range of areas relating to family disputes, such as:
- Contested and uncontested divorce: I can handle all aspects of your California divorce, including child custody, visitation and support, property division, and spousal support (alimony).
- Child custody arrangements: I can help you do what is best for your children, from establishing a child custody arrangement to post-divorce matters such as parental relocation and modification. This area also includes paternity issues and other post-divorce considerations.
- Child support obligations: I can help you protect your financial interests and ensure your children get the necessary care. We can also help you seek a modification of an existing child support order.
- Modifications and enforcement: If you are seeking a modification of custody, visitation, or child support or wish to oppose a modification, I can guide you through this matter. I can also assist with enforcing child support orders and divorce decrees.
- Division of retirement benefits (QDROs and DROs): I can represent and assist you as you seek to divide your retirement benefits as part of a legal separation, divorce property settlement, or judgment.
- Paternity: If you are an unwed parent who has an interest in addressing custody, visitation, and child support matters, I can help you find a resolution that works for you.
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements: Some couples negotiate a settlement with their spouse or fiancé(e) before or during their marriage to determine any support and property rights. I can help you through this matter to ensure you’re protected should you later divorce.
- Other family law matters: I can handle any other family law matter you may face, including stepparent adoption and legal separation.
As an experienced mediator, I know mediation is often a faster and less expensive way to resolve legal disputes than litigation. However, if your case needs to be adequately suited for mediation, we provide the experienced legal representation you require.
The Benefits of Hiring a Qualified Westlake Village Family Law Attorney
How a family law specialist will help you and your loved ones may vary depending on your needs. For example, our approach when handling child custody matters can differ based on whether two spouses are willing to work together to arrive at a mutually satisfactory arrangement or disagree over who should have custody of their children.
That said, hiring an experienced Westlake Village family law attorney to assist you when navigating sensitive issues like divorce, paternity, and more can offer certain general benefits. They include (but aren’t limited to) the following:
- Protecting your rights: Your lawyer’s primary goal in a family law case is often to ensure your rights are thoroughly protected. When those involved in divorces and other such proceedings don’t have proper representation, they usually make unnecessary concessions to speed the process along. This can result in long-term consequences. Examples include (but aren’t limited to) not having the option to see your kids as often as you ought to, giving up property that you should have been permitted to keep after a divorce, paying more in alimony than is necessary, not receiving the alimony payments you deserve, etc. You’re less likely to face such consequences if you hire a California family lawyer who’s previously handled cases like yours.
- Saving time and money: Again, as a Westlake Village family lawyer committed to protecting your rights, I won’t let you make an unreasonable concession in the name of resolving your case sooner rather than later until you’re fully informed of the pros and cons of doing so. However, family law cases are often resolved more quickly than they would otherwise be when a qualified attorney is involved. A lawyer can help identify and implement solutions to problems that might otherwise slow a case’s progress.
- Reducing stress: Matters such as divorce naturally cause some degree of stress. However, the stress you might experience due to your divorce or other family law issues may not be as significant as it could be if you at least can enjoy the peace of mind from knowing a family law attorney is providing effective representation. I’ll gladly answer your questions throughout every stage of your case, helping you better understand where your case is headed.
- Ensuring enforceability: Entering into a prenuptial or postnuptial contract with a spouse or soon-to-be spouse is wise for many reasons. Although you don’t want to think about the possibility of your marriage ending in divorce, it’s nevertheless responsible to prepare for this potentially occurring. I can help you draft a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement that reflects your wishes and is legally enforceable. Additionally, in some instances, a family law attorney can assist when an ex refuses to abide by the agreed-upon terms of a custody arrangement, alimony payment schedule, or any other such agreement or order.
Put Our Experience To Work For You
We focus our practice entirely on divorce and family law to provide you with knowledgeable representation. To that end, I, Ronald K. Stitch, am also a family law attorney in Westlake Village, certified by The State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization.
Learn how we can use our education, experience, and knowledge to help you. How can we help? We offer a free consultation in our Westlake Village law office. Please call 818-707-0202. You can also email us.
