An uncontested divorce is one in which the parties reach an agreement, in writing, regarding all the terms and conditions of their divorce. In other words, neither party is “contesting’ anything when they ask the Court for a divorce.
Child Support
The calculation of child support is complicated. In general, the establishment of child support in Wisconsin is determined by the nature and extent of child placement. For example, if one parent has overnight placement 25% of the time or less, that parent will pay a percentage of their gross income for child support as follows...
Child Custody and Visitation
Our experienced team of family lawyers is well respected for handling the difficult issues surrounding divorce and child custody matters. Our experience ensures that our client’s rights are fully protected, while giving clients the support they need to make the difficult decisions presented by these cases.
Adoption
Paternity
Guardianship
Yes and no. You are not required to hire an attorney to represent you to pursue the appointment of a guardian for another person. However, the court will appoint an attorney, call a “Guardian ad Litem,” for the proposed ward. The Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is not your attorney and, therefore, cannot assist you with your prosecution of the guardianship. The GAL’s job is to represent the Ward and present the Ward’s best interests to the court.
Spousal Support
Maintenance (previously called “alimony”) is a payment from one spouse to another spouse, for a term of months or years, to provide financial support. Whether maintenance is appropriate in your case depends on many factors. Some of the most significant factors are the length of the marriage, the difference in earning capacities at the time of divorce, and the age and health of each of each party. Maintenance is not awarded in every case.
Legal Separation
For over 10 years, Andrea has devoted her practice to family law and related issues. Andrea has represented hundreds of clients in all aspects of family law, including divorce, legal separation, paternity, child custody and placement, third party visitation, child support, maintenance, asset valuation, and property division. She has appeared in Courts throughout central Wisconsin, from La Crosse to Viroqua, to Richland Center, to Madison, to Baraboo, to Green Lake, to Wautoma, to Black River Falls, and every courthouse in between. She is also experienced in matters such as children in need of protection and services (CHIPS), termination of parental rights (TPR), guardianships, domestic abuse, child abuse and harassment injunctions, and real estate.
Probably. It depends on the seriousness of the traffic violation and on the insurance company. For example, failure to renew your license plates will probably not affect your insurance, but drunk driving certainly will.
Wrongful Death
John spends most of his time representing people who have suffered a personal injury. John’s practice includes all types of accidents (car, truck, semi, motorcycle, ATV, etc.) and all types of injuries (whiplash, paralysis, traumatic brain injury, broken bones, scarring, etc.). He also handles wrongful death cases, where an accident has caused a death.
Traffic Violations
Curran, Hollenbeck & Orton, S.C. is experienced at representing persons charged with traffic violations, ordinance violations, and crimes. If you or a loved one have been charged or arrested, or if you fear you are about to be charged or arrested, you should promptly retain an experienced defense lawyer with a reputation for success. In many cases, hiring an attorney before you are formally charged with an offense can result in charges being reduced or eliminated altogether.
Misdemeanors
Because each case is different, there is no set answer. For misdemeanor matters, a common practice is to set the matter for a “pretrial conference” with the prosecuting attorney approximately 3-6 weeks after the initial appearance, with a “return date” another 3-4 weeks after that. These times are dependent upon the court’s calendar and case load. For felony matters, there are more variables, including preliminary hearings and arraignments, that make estimates more difficult.
Drug Crimes
Assault
Restraining Order
Most cases are started by filing written documents with the Clerk of Court. Different documents are filed for different kinds of cases. For example, in most cases, documents called a “summons” and “complaint” must be filed. In divorce cases, a “summons” and “petition” must be filed. In cases seeking a restraining order, just a “petition” must be filed. These documents must then be properly “served” on the other parties. Clerks of Court have some forms available for the public to use to start some cases (e.g., divorces, small claims, evictions, harassment injunctions).
During law school, Jack gained valuable and varied experience by clerking for a series of government entities including the Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel, the Milwaukee City Attorney, and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. After law school, he worked as an investment banking analyst focused on mergers and acquisitions.
Business Disputes
Every case is different. Length depends upon the type of case, the number of parties, the number of witnesses, the number of legal and factual issues, the judge’s schedule, and many other factors. Some cases can go to court within a few months (e.g., eviction and small claims cases) while others may take years (e.g., personal injury and business disputes).
Business Transactions
Limited Liability Companies
Eric Johnson is experienced in a broad range of business, real estate and estate planning matters. He routinely handles the purchase and sale of homes, businesses, condominiums, farms and factories, including asset transfers, stock transfers and Section 1031 exchanges. Eric helps clients create, operate, buy, sell and dissolve corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), partnerships, and condominium associations. Not only does he have transactional experience in these areas, but Eric also has experience litigating these matters when necessary. His trial and transactional experience provide practical insights and strategies unavailable to those who limit their practice to only the office or the courtroom. Finally, Eric has extensive experience advising clients regarding estate planning and probate matters.
We routinely represent landowners, business owners, real estate developers, condominium associations, subdivision homeowners’ associations and financial institutions in all kinds of real estate, development and land use matters. We prepare hundreds of Deeds and Transfer Tax Returns each year. Here is just a sample of the kinds of real estate matters we routinely handle...
Construction Litigation
John also handles a broad array of general litigation matters. Having practiced for over 35 years, John has handled just about every kind of dispute, from construction disputes, to Will contests, to boundary line disputes, to insurance disputes.
Real Estate Transactions
No. However, attorneys can be helpful in explaining and guiding a buyer or seller through the important steps in a real estate transaction. Real estate is transferred from a seller to a buyer by the execution and recording of important written legal documents, which must be carefully and properly prepared. Attorneys are almost always used to make sure the paperwork is done right.
Eminent Domain
Easement
Land Use and Zoning
In addition, Attorney Orton has represented and continues to represent several municipalities and individuals in a wide variety of municipal matters such as zoning matters, land use and development matters, annexations and boundary issues, easements and rights-of-way, ordinance drafting and codification, special assessments and condemnation issues.
Landlord-Tenant Disputes
As a full-service firm, Curran Law Office has worked on both sides of the landlord-tenant relationship. Our broad depth of experience is of great benefit to those clients who have landlord-tenant issues. We are experienced in handling all issues arising out of the landlord-tenant relationship, including the following common issues...
Property Damage
No, a lease cannot insulate the Landlord from liability caused by the Landlord’s acts or omissions, nor can it make a tenant liable for property damage or personal injuries arising from causes clearly outside the tenant’s control.
Most personal injury cases are handled on a “contingent fee” basis, which means that you pay us no fee for our services unless we collect some money for you. When you receive your money, you pay us a percentage of what we recover for you.
Medical Malpractice
Auto Accidents
Dog Bites
Adam has experience in personal injury law including car accidents, wrongful deaths, and dog bites. Additionally, Adam also assists clients in matters regarding criminal law, family law, landlord-tenant law, business law, estate planning, and general litigation.
“Estate Planning” is the process by which you plan for the transfer of your property upon your death. “Probate” is the court-supervised process used after your death to carry out the wishes in your Will, and is the process involved if you have no Will. We have an experienced team at Curran Law Office to handle the complex legal issues associated with Estate Planning and probate, and we handle these sensitive issues in an atmosphere of trust, respect and confidentiality. Let us help you.
Wills
Yes, but you must have a legal reason for doing so, such as incompetence, fraud, undue influence or duress. To contest a Will, you must file papers with the Court, within certain time limits, explaining why the Will should not be accepted by the Court. Will contests are complicated, rare, and require the assistance of a lawyer.
Trusts
Some government benefits are based upon the assets owned by the beneficiary. If a beneficiary inherits assets from you, that beneficiary may lose his or her government benefits. In such cases, you might want to set up a “special needs trust” (SNT) to hold the child’s inheritance so that the child does not lose government benefits when he or she receives an inheritance.
Power of Attorney
A “Power of Attorney” is a legal document that authorizes someone else to make legal decisions on your behalf regarding your property, investments, debts, and accounts.
Probate
Catherine enjoys a state-wide reputation and practice in estate planning and probate, particularly in complex estates. Clients from La Crosse, to Green Bay, to Milwaukee, to Madison, come to Catherine for her expertise and her unique ability to explain the complicated aspects of modern estate planning. Good estate planning requires attention to detail – one of Catherine’s strengths. It also requires an understanding of tax law, marital property law, real estate law, trust law, medical assistance law and probate law, all of which Catherine is adept at using to develop tailor-made estate plans for her clients. Unlike many estate planning lawyers, Catherine seeks to design estate plans which will not only carry out the wishes of her clients, but will do so in the most efficient, cost-effective manner. In many cases, Catherine can design an estate plan which reduces or eliminates the need for probate, with all of the delays, expenses, and loss of privacy that go with it, while enjoying available tax advantages.
When you file for bankruptcy, your case becomes a matter of public record. This means that anyone can access court records online or call the bankruptcy court to obtain details regarding your case. Your bankruptcy case will also involve a “Meeting of Creditors” that is open to the public, though it is unusual for anyone who is not involved in the case to attend. It may be possible to seal portions of your case, but this only occurs in rare instances. Aside from court records, you may be listed in a local newspaper in relation to any public notices that are relevant to your case. Additionally, lenders you approach to apply for credit, and possibly employers, will learn of your bankruptcy filing if they review your credit history. A bankruptcy generally stays on your credit report for 7 to 10 years, depending on whether you filed a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Foreclosure
No. A Judgment simply declares that the debtor owes you money. It does not force the debtor to pay you the amount of your judgment. In some cases, the debtor will voluntarily pay the judgment, but in many cases the debtor will not pay. If the debtor is unwilling to voluntarily pay the judgment, you must commence further legal proceedings to force payment. Such proceedings may include garnishment of wages, repossession of property, or foreclosure of real estate.
Tax Law
Estate planning has become increasingly complicated. Estate planning now can include retirement planning, health care planning, tax planning, property divestment, charitable giving and more. To make matters worse, the exaggerated hype from websites and traveling salesmen pitching “Estate Planning kits” at mass meetings has added to the public’s confusion. Curran Law Office has developed a team to deal with this complex and confusing area of the law, and will tailor your Estate Plan to your specific needs and goals.
Debt Collection
Our team of lawyers has extensive experience in debt collection and in protecting the rights of those who extend credit. For decades, Curran Law Office has represented many of the banks and credit unions in the area. As a result, we have many years of experience in handling just about every kind of collection issue imaginable.