Experienced Milwaukee Family Law Attorneys Advocate For Your Rights
Together, we — Christie Bandle and Eric Zaeske— have 50 years of combined legal and trial experience. Compassion and integrity are key values instilled when fighting for you, the client. We understand the complexity of all family law issues, whether they be divorce, paternity, or custody matters. We strive to give you everything you need to be fully prepared for the journey ahead.
Our clients can expect nothing less than objective, thorough, straight-forward advice from our family law firm.
If you live in Southeastern Wisconsin, including Germantown, Menomonee Falls, or West Bend, give us a call at 414-359-1424 to set up a free consultation.
Areas of Expertise
Divorce is not an easy process; throw in the memories, family ties, children, property and the life you’ve built together, and you have a recipe for a complicated divorce process. A complicated divorce may be when one spouse “surprises” another with divorce papers, or, even if the divorce was mutually desired, nothing can be agreed upon. Generally, legal representation cannot be avoided when dealing with a complicated divorce; legal guidance will be needed to help you understand all possibilities of your situation and how to proceed.
Uncontested divorce is when two people have reached a common understanding and mutually satisfying agreement that they need to end their marriage in order to live happier and more fulfilling lives. Both spouses are able to amicably agree on the terms of divorce, including property division, child support, spousal support and any other financial issues. Uncontested divorces can even be handled outside of the courts. It is wise to seek legal guidance before signing any documents to make sure you understand and agree to all the terms outlined in the divorce papers.
Child custody can be a tricky and intense issue to sort out. For the most part parents are able to work out child custody agreements that are mutually satisfying for everyone. The best interest of the children is the overshadowing factor when working out arrangements. For the most part, parents can figure out their custody arrangements through mediation, but sometimes, in the worst cases, they have to resort to court hearings.
Child support is the ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit and care of their child. The payment is generally made by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent or caregiver, and the amount is determined during the divorce process. If there is joint-custody, the parent with the higher income may be required to pay the other parent child support.
Alimony, also known as maintenance or spousal support, is the legal obligation for one spouse to provide financial support to the other spouse upon divorce. The spouse with the higher income will pay the financially dependent spouse for a determined amount of time to allow that spouse to become self-supporting. In Wisconsin, there are no percentage guidelines when determining the amount of alimony that is appropriate. Trial courts have broad discretion in determining the duration and amount awarded.
A restraining order is a legal injunction, or court order, that requires a party to do, or refrain from doing, certain actions. If the party refuses to comply with the court order, they can face criminal or civil penalties which may result in paying damages or accepting sanctions.
Post-judgment disputes include enforcement of divorce judgments and orders, as well as modifications of those judgments. Modifications to spousal or child support agreements may be dealt with based on changes to one party’s income or needs. If you wish to change other things in child custody arrangements, this area would cover that as well.
Establishing paternity is the legal way of determining the father of a child to an unmarried woman. Signing the father’s name is generally not enough to decide; in the case of a married couple, the signed father’s name will be considered the child’s father, and a paternity test does not legally need to be determined.) There are two ways to go about establishing paternity: the mother and father can sign a paternity affidavit; a paternity case can be filed in court.
Contempt of court is the court order that declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court’s authority. Contempt may result from failure to obey a lawful order of the court, showing disrespect for the judge, disruption of the proceedings due to bad behavior, or publication of material seen to jeopardize the likelihood of a fair trial. The judge may rule for a fine or jail time for a party found guilty of contempt.
We understand that the best efforts are not through conflict, but by finding solutions to help ease difficult issues fairly and justly. Regardless of your which are of Family Law your case falls under, we will strive to provide the best legal representation for you case; we will help guide you during this difficult time and we will fight for the best possible solutions.
If you would like to set up a free consultation with either one of us at Bandle & Zaeske LLP, we would gladly meet you and see what we can do for you. Call us at (414) 359-1424 to schedule your office consultation, or if you have any questions or concerns fill out our contact form. Don’t wait any longer and keep yourself from a happier, more fulfilling life.