Pre-Marital Consulting & Seminars

The decision to marry and the engagement phase that follows is a very exciting time!  It is also the ideal time to learn about and develop an understanding of the legal implications of your marriage in California.

To assist you with understanding the legal impact of marriage, including the legal rights and obligations that will arise between you and your spouse upon and during marriage, Emily Vance provides either one-on-one consulting, consulting with you and your soon-to-be spouse, or group seminars covering a  variety of topics you may encounter during marriage.

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For a more focused, private and personal approach, one-on-one premarital consulting provides legal consulting narrowed to fit your own needs and questions. 

The couples' consult enables you and your soon-to-be-spouse to engage in discussions together. 

The one-on-one consulting and the couples' consult can comprise only one session or several sessions, depending on your needs.

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For a list of the group seminar topics, click below:

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Divorce Consulting

Before the commencement of the divorce process or at the beginning stages of your divorce, you may have questions or may be uncertain about how the divorce process will unfold. 

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Or you may prefer to represent yourself and/or engage in an alternative dispute resolution process, such as mediation or collaborative law.

The consulting attorney is not your attorney of record and does not actively drive your case forward.  Instead, a consulting attorney is a resource to navigate and guide you through the divorce process tailored to fit your needs. The role of a consulting attorney involves reviewing your legal documents, assisting you with preparing for a hearing or providing legal advice before, during and after mediation or the legal process you have chosen.

If you choose to begin the divorce process with Emily Vance as your consulting attorney, but find a more active attorney role is needed, it is possible for Ms. Vance to transition into the attorney of record role.

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Mediation

Every family is different. Every family has different needs, goals and desires.  The mediation process involves the use of a mediator, often referred to as a third party neutral, to assist parties in making their own decisions to address the specific needs of their family and to bring resolutions to their family law matter.

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A mediator does not represent either party.  Instead, the mediator meets with both parties,  facilitates discussions, provides education about the legal process, drafts the necessary paperwork and assists the parties with reaching a fair and balanced resolution.

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Emily Vance, a skilled mediator with extensive mediation training, offers mediation services for parties who prefer the mediation framework. In the mediation process, Ms. Vance can effectively and efficiently mediate disputes as a neutral mediator.

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Litigation

The divorce process is often rife with emotion and complexity.  If you do not wish to represent yourself or you are unable to resolve your divorce issues through alternate dispute resolution approaches, litigation provides an avenue to help you reach a resolution.

Emily Vance offers a strategic, skilled, and steadfast litigation approach at every phase of a divorce proceeding, from the pre-petition filing through the entry of final Judgment and beyond in post-judgment matters. Ms. Vance understands that resolving dissolution disputes in the litigation arena requires patient and persistent negotiation, paired with skill and experience.