Our family law team comprises of four attorneys, Barry Mills, Justin Bennett, Sally Mills and Zachary McNally. Between us, we have more than 80 years of experience in representing clients in family law cases throughout the State of Maine, including issues such as:
Parental Rights Disputes Between Married or Unmarried Couples
Financial Disputes Between Married or Unmarried Couples
Child Custody Disputes
Divorce Proceedings
Protection from Abuse Orders
Guardianship Proceedings
AdoptionProceedings
Same-sex Marriage
Financial issues:
Such as child support, division of marital property, protection of separate property, spousal support and recovery of attorney’s fees. Where necessary, we use discovery requests as a means to prove the accuracy of financial claims by the other party or to establish that the other party has greater assets than initially claimed. Those requests include depositions, document requests, interrogatories and the use of subpoenas.
Interim hearings:
In some cases, the court will grant a motion to have in interim hearing at the outset of a case, which will resolve some issues on a temporary basis (pending a full settlement of decision at trial). These hearings may be held on relatively short notice, even though they will deal with substantive issues. As we have four attorneys who work on family law cases, we are able to adjust our workloads and are able to prepare as effectively as possible for these hearings.
Parental rights:
A court will consider the “best interests of the child” standard when considering these issues. On many occasions, the parent’s own testimony (and that of family / friends / acquaintances) will be sufficient to present a strong case. However, we have a wide range of experience in dealing with counselors, other mental health professionals and “guardians ad litem” as part of evaluating and presenting a divorce case involving minor children. Previously, Sally Mills served as a Guardian ad Litem in various cases.
mediation hearings:
The court system includes a compulsory mediation conference for any issue involving minor children’s residency. Also, the court may refer a case to a Judicial Settlement Conference, if the case is approaching a trial. It is important to be fully prepared for these conferences. Even if a conference does not result in settlement, the outcome may dictate the course of future negotiations or narrow the issues to be presented at trial.
trials:
Some cases do require a trial, although only a small minority of cases. We prepare the witness and exhibit lists in advance of trial. Where necessary, we subpoena witnesses. As trial advocates, our work includes presenting out client’s case and cross examining the other side’s witnesses. Usually, each case has a limited amount of court time. We aim to use that time effectively as possible, which includes making decisions on the emphasis to be placed on each issue.