Family Law Attorney in Santa Barbara

Cases involving your family can be especially stressful, and whether you are encountering a divorce, working through a custody dispute, trying to determine the optimal prenuptial agreement with your future spouse, or preparing to adopt a child, a family law attorney in Santa Barbara can be extremely valuable and helpful. Many people facing family issues have never had a family law case before, but an experienced attorney knows what the process entails. We can better help you prepare for what is to come and obtain the best possible outcome in your situation.

Trusted Family Law Advocates in Ventura and Santa Barbara

The Law Offices of Bamieh and De Smeth, PLC, has a team of highly experienced and professional family lawyers who know how to navigate family-related matters and can help you get through yours with as little stress as possible. Our law office has locations conveniently found in Santa Barbara and Ventura, serving residents of Camarillo, Goleta, Montecito, Moorpark, Oak Park, Orcutt, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and beyond. Our firm is happy to work with mothers, fathers, grandparents, adoptive parents, and spouses who are looking for the best possible legal representation for their family law needs. We are here to uphold your rights and protect your interests, whatever they might be. Our experienced family law attorneys are here to answer any further questions you might have and help you process your family law case as advantageously as possible. All consultations are kept completely confidential, so please never hesitate to reach out today for more information.

Full-Service, Top-Notch Legal Representation for Mothers and Fathers

While the legal system was established to protect American citizens, it can sometimes seem like it is working against you. When you approach a family law case, you are up against complicated laws and procedures, and the outcome of your case can impact the rest of your life. This can be a stressful position for anyone to be in. Family law is a unique field of practice, and having a family law attorney with experience in your local courts will support the efficiency of your case and the value of its outcome.

When you are involved in a family law case, it is important to remember that the very small details in the process can have a very large impact on your overall life. Your property could be distributed in a way that goes against your wishes, or support or custody orders might not be sustainable, leading to further issues in the courts down the road. Incomplete or incorrectly completed paperwork can have long-lasting implications for your financial stability and capacity to move past your case and on with your life.

When you go with the Law Offices of Bamieh and De Smeth, PLC, you will have a dedicated attorney by your side to answer any questions you might have and to advocate for your best interests. We understand that the situation you are experiencing is stressful, and we will do our best to make it as professional and as painless as possible. Our goals are to decrease your burden, lessen your stress, and help you achieve the best possible outcome in your case.

We Handle a Wide Variety of Family Law Cases

When you have made the decision to hire an attorney, it is important that you find an attorney with experience handling your type of case. A lawyer might practice personal injury law, business law, or another type of law for years, but this does not necessarily mean they are prepared to assist with your family law matter. The Law Offices of Bamieh and De Smeth, PLC, has decades of combined experience in the practice of family law. We know how the law applies to the unique facts and circumstances of your case and how to present your side of the story to achieve the best possible outcome. Our highly skilled and experienced legal team includes:

Adoption lawyers
Alimony lawyers
Child custody lawyers
Custody lawyers for mothers
Custody lawyers for fathers
High-assets divorce attorneys
Prenuptial agreement lawyers

The various legal issues, court proceedings, and other matters we can help your family on include:

Adoption process
Alimony spousal support or termination
Child custody and support disputes and modifications
Child custody order enforcement
Default judgments
Division of property and debt
Domestication of judgments
Drafting of prenuptial agreements
Emancipation of minors
Failure to pay child support
Father’s rights
Grandparent’s rights
Legal guardianship establishment
Mediation and arbitration
Mother’s rights
No-fault divorce proceedings
Parental rights termination
Restraining order violations
Separation proceedings

The Divorce Attorneys at Bamieh and De Smeth are Here to Advocate For You

Under California law, there are three primary ways to end a marriage or a registered domestic partnership: divorce, legal separation, and annulment. In California, either spouse is able to initiate the process of ending a marriage, and even if the other spouse or party is not interested in getting a divorce, the process continues even if they refuse to participate. When a spouse is unwilling to participate in the divorce process, the other spouse is able to get a “default” judgment through which the divorce can be finalized and the marriage dissolved.

California is a “no-fault” divorce state, which means that a divorce can be filed for whatever reason either spouse prefers, so long as they cite there are “irreconcilable differences” between the spouses. There are residency requirements you must meet to file, and your attorney can advise you whether or not you can file immediately or need to wait. The process of going through a divorce can be stressful, but it can also be managed professionally and with dignity, which is how the attorneys at Bamieh and De Smeth operate.

Connect with a Santa Barbara Family Law Attorney Today

Whether you are facing a contested divorce or working on modifying a child custody decision, the experienced attorneys at Bamieh and De Smeth, PLC, are here to answer any questions you might have. We are here to draft your divorce agreement, provide key insight into a prenuptial agreement your future spouse has proposed, or help you determine how to best divide your community property as part of a divorce settlement. Reach out to the experienced family lawyers in Santa Barbara from Bamieh and De Smeth, PLC, to schedule a consultation to discuss options in your case.

Family Law FAQ

Do you need a lawyer to get a divorce?

To get a divorce in California, it is not essential that you have a lawyer, as anyone can file their own case. However, not having a divorce attorney by your side throughout the process can lead to mistakes being made that can have a long-term impact on your future, whether financially or in terms of how your family is managed.

Connecting with an attorney for your divorce will ensure that the paperwork and filing procedure is completed accurately and comprehensively, and that your wishes are effectively communicated through your court filings. The outcome of your divorce depends on clearly communicating your desired outcome and how effectively the related negotiations proceed. Your divorce attorney can help you each and every step of the way.

How do California courts make custody decisions?

The courts in California will base their custody decisions on the best interests of the child or children involved. The best interests of the child involve the level of support they receive from one or both parents, whether physical, emotional, mental, or financial. The stability of the child’s life is a prime concern, with continuity in their education and social development being preferred over taking them out of a home and environment in which they have been growing and thriving. The ability of each parent to support and nurture the child will be taken into account when the court makes its decision as to what custody situation is in the best interests of the child involved.

Who will get the house in my divorce?

Who gets the house in the divorce will depend on the unique facts and circumstances of your case and how the law applies to them, which is what your divorce lawyer from Bamieh and De Smeth is here to assess. It is our job to assess the assets involved in the divorce and to determine what assets are individually owned and which are part of the community property estate. How your community property is divided in the divorce and who gets the home will depend on what other types of property you own with your spouse and how you can best achieve a 50-50 split of that community property.

Will my family law case go to court?

Having a family law attorney on your side before you go to court is always best so that your lawyer can negotiate a settlement with the other party out of court - instead of having the court decide for you. Once your case makes it into court, the decision is out of your hands. An experienced family law attorney knows how to negotiate the best possible outcome for you outside of court when possible, maintaining the most control over the outcome of your decision.