Lake Charles Divorce Lawyer

A divorce is often one of the most complex and emotionally stressful family law cases because it involves numerous family legal matters. It is important that you work with a compassionate and dedicated Lake Charles divorce lawyer to protect your interests, rights, and your family’s future.

Qualified Legal Counsel With the Godley Law Firm

Divorce is a major life transition that comes with numerous challenges. At the Godley Law Firm, I understand. I am William Godley, the firm’s founder. I am not only a divorce lawyer with nearly 25 years of experience but also a child of divorce myself and someone who has gone through the process of marital dissolution. I empathize with the challenges that you are facing.

It takes courage to navigate a life-changing process that combines legal complexities with emotional issues. But you don’t have to go through it alone. At the Godley Law Firm, our team has worked for years to support families and individuals like you and your family. We understand the complexities, both legal and emotional, of divorce cases. We want to help you through them.

Our firm is here to help you find the right solution to your case that limits conflict when possible and helps your family move forward. We focus on finding agreeable solutions and aggressively fight for you when compromise isn’t possible.

Guidance on All Aspects of Louisiana Divorce Cases

I established my Lake Charles divorce practice to help people find creative and effective resolutions to divorce and related issues. I am compassionate while dealing with my clients but aggressive in court or negotiations when opposing sides refuse to play fair.

I can help you with any aspect of the divorce process, including:

• Child custody – The best interests of the children come first in every custody-related decision. Disputes arise when one party is not focused on the welfare of their children, acting selfishly and vengefully against their spouse. While contested child custody matters are not ideal; I will aggressively pursue the optimal option in court on behalf of my clients and their children.

Our legal team prioritizes the interests of children in these cases and helps parents work together on a parenting plan or represent a parent in litigious custody battles if there are no better options.

• Child support – State statutes dictate strict calculations involving gross income, expenses and the number of children. However, the accuracy of the data is sometimes questioned when a spouse is hiding assets or money or is voluntarily underemployed or unemployed.

A skilled divorce attorney can help you uncover hidden information or other circumstances that would prevent your children from getting the full support they deserve.

• Spousal support – Spousal support, also known as alimony, falls under two categories: interim and permanent. Interim support is awarded while the divorce case is in progress, and permanent support, or final periodic support, is awarded after the finalization of the case. The decision to award support is based on the income and abilities of each spouse. Essentially, one spouse has the need and the other has the means.

While no statutes govern this complex area of divorce law, income and expenses are factors in determining both durations and amounts. Alimony can be a difficult topic for either spouse, considering the substantial financial strain already present in a divorce. A skilled attorney can help you determine what you are owed and how to prove it to the court, whether you are paying or receiving spousal support.

• Property division – During a divorce, spouses must divide their marital property equally. This includes assets and debt that the couple gained during their marriage. Dividing marital assets is not as easy as dividing by two. Negotiations can drag out, and investigations in valuing property can be in-depth and sometimes disputed. You and your spouse may have personal as well as financial interests in many specific assets, and this can make even amicable spouses contentious during the process.

It can become more complicated if either spouse owns a business or has high-value assets. An attorney has the experience and resources necessary to properly evaluate assets and help spouses reach a solution while protecting your financial interests.

As a Lake Charles divorce and family law attorney, my job is to negotiate with the parties to find a resolution or litigate when necessary.

Do I Need an Attorney for a Divorce in Lake Charles?

You are not required to work with an attorney for your Lake Charles divorce. However, there are significant benefits to working with an attorney, and you could resolve your divorce more quickly and with less stress. Benefits of working with an attorney include:

• Legal Knowledge: An attorney has an in-depth knowledge of the requirements of a divorce, including waiting and separation periods, residency requirements, and the deadlines for filing. This gives you less to keep track of and can limit the mistakes made in your petition for divorce, the process of serving your spouse, and other procedural elements of the divorce.

• Protect Your Rights: Even if your divorce is amicable, mistakes can be made that harm your financial future. An attorney can protect these rights and your rights to custody. An attorney can listen to your goals and priorities and help you secure what you need during the negotiation or litigation of your divorce.

This helps you secure a more favorable outcome. It can also help you avoid errors that leave you with fewer assets than you deserve or with insufficient support.

• Informed Guidance: A divorce can be contested or uncontested, mediated or litigated, and fault-based or no-fault-based. There are further options within these methods, and they can be confusing for many individuals. An attorney can talk through the options and help you make an informed choice about what most effectively serves your financial and personal interests.

• Limit Stress: Divorce is a strenuous process that affects much of your life. Legal support can mitigate the stress you feel by ensuring that not everything is on you. You can trust your divorce attorney to keep you informed, answer your questions, and help you find solutions to complex issues.

Answering Your Questions About Divorce In Louisiana

When you have questions, I can provide you with the answers you’re looking for. I’ll listen to your problem and provide you with all the information you deserve. Below are the answers to some of the questions I get most frequently.

How Long Does a Divorce Take?

The length of your divorce depends a great deal on your circumstances. If you have grounds for a divorce, it can accelerate the process. Grounds for divorce can include:

• Infidelity
• Abuse
• Criminal activity
• One spouse seeking a protective order

However, most choose to file for a “no-fault” divorce. No-fault divorce significantly simplifies the process, which historically could be very difficult. However, if you choose a no-fault divorce, you will have a waiting period, which could be half a year if there are no children or a full year if you have children.

However, there is a caveat. Depending on a working divorce agreement, those waiting times are half a year or a full year. Without that agreement, without knowing about custody, property division, or spousal support, you’re headed for a contested divorce.

What Is a Contested Divorce?

A contested divorce is one where the central matters of the divorce are not settled before the submission of the divorce paperwork. In these cases, you and your soon-to-be ex will go to court to argue your side in these matters. These disputes are difficult and often painful, but they can make your divorce much longer than the initial wait time. In some cases, a divorce case can stretch out for years.

Will There Be Alimony or Spousal Support?

Alimony, or spousal support, is a hot-button issue in divorce and is often a primary part of a contested divorce. Setting appropriate spousal support is a vital issue. The court considers the following matters before issuing spousal support:

• Length of the marriage
• Relative resources of both spouses
• Each spouse’s health
• The circumstances of the divorce

After carefully considering these matters, the judge may or may not order alimony. Here, an attorney can make a big difference by advocating for the most appropriate outcome.

Other FAQs

Discuss Your Divorce Questions and Concerns With an Experienced Attorney

Divorce cases can be strenuous and emotionally exhausting to deal with alone. I invite you to contact me online or call 337-502-5144 to speak with me about your divorce concerns. I can provide the guidance you need to start moving past this major hurdle and start building your post-divorce future.