"Family Law" refers to a variety of case types. We primarily handle divorce, custody and placement, support, and paternity cases. For 14 years, Ann Davies has practiced almost exclusively in these areas.

Family law cases are some of the most emotionally charged areas of law. They "hit close to home," both figuratively and literally, as issues of where your child or children will live, who will make decisions for them and provide financial support, how marital assets will be divided and who will pay what debts are personal and, at times, highly emotional and stressful issues to resolve.

In divorce cases, you want to be sure you understand your rights and obligations with respect to division of marital assets and liabilities, how gifted and inherited property will be treated by the Court and whether your spouse can claim an interest, how maintenance (more commonly known as "alimony") is evaluated and the factors the Court will consider in deciding whether, and for how long, maintenance will be ordered. In many respects each divorce case is unique, and the personalities of the parties, and the attorneys they choose, often drive how difficult a divorce will be.

In paternity cases, divorce cases where there are minor children, and situations where, say, a grandparent or other third party seeks visitation rights, decisions will need to be made as to who will have custodial rights, what the placement schedule of the child(ren) will be (referred to generally as "physical placement") and how they will be financially supported. Often mediation is ordered by the Court to assist the parties in reaching an out-of-court settlement. If settlement does not occur, the Court will appoint a guardian ad litem, whose role in the case will be to make recommendations to the Court as to custody and placement. Here again, the personalities of the parties and attorneys can be a significant factor in how effectively custody and placement issues are resolved.

Whether your case is resolved by settlement or trial, an attorney should be part of the solution, not the problem. We believe a strong, yet courteous, adversarial approach lends itself to resolving cases most advantageously, and economically, for the client.

During an initial consultation, we will overview the legal process involved in your family law matter, provide information about various options available to you and associated costs, and address generally any particular concerns you may have. Our goal is to help you make an informed decision about whether you need legal representation, and whether a Carney, Davies & Thorpe lawyer is the right fit for what you hope to accomplish in your case. 


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