Family Law

Nobody enters into a marriage expecting to divorce. But when it happens, it is painful on so many levels. Those going through a divorce can experience a mix of emotions — anger, sadness, confusion, among others. These feelings are more acute when a divorcing couple have children. On top of everything, there are financial and legal ramifications to a divorce that need to be assessed.

If you are going through a divorce in the Portland area, please know that you are not alone — approximately half of all marriages end in divorce. The fact of that matter is that no divorce is easy; however, our mission at Levine Law Center is to make the process as pain-free as possible for you.

Asset division, spousal and child support, and child custody are just a few of the many legal issues that may arise throughout your divorce. Once you hire our attorneys in Portland, it is our job to be your number one advocate and ensure that you are strongly represented should any legal issue arise.

At Levine Law Center in Portland, we will strategize with you to consider the pros, cons, and costs of litigation, and would never encourage you to enter litigation when it would simply not be cost effective or in your best interests. In fact, most family law legal issues in Portland can and should be resolved without court intervention and costly legal fees. The expression “fighting over pots and pans” exists for a reason. But if and when the need for litigation in Portland arises, we will be ready to fight.

Custody and financial support battles are common in the Portland area — and often contentious — legal issues for couples going through a divorce.

Levine Law Center in Portland strongly advocates on behalf of our clients who are dealing with custody and support issues. Our attorneys in Portland fight to ensure that our clients are treated with fairness. Our attorneys care deeply about the well being of the parties’ children, and advocate for our client’s wishes with respect to what would be in their best interest.

Levine Law Center in Portland prepares wills, trusts, pre- and post-nuptial agreements for our clients. We take the time to carefully review the needs and wishes of our clients, and discuss the legal consequences of these decisions. Our family law attorneys have found that having your family financial situation organized is not only a responsible thing to do, but also brings a lot of relief to loved ones knowing that their desires will be respected.

Levine Law Center works on a reasonable flat fee basis with respect to preparation of clients’ wills, trusts, and nuptial agreements.

Levine Law Center in Portland is unique in that we are experienced family law practitioners who offer reasonable and flexible payment plans to assist you with your family law case. We are completely transparent about costs, fees, and expenses, and promise that you will never pay for frivolous litigation.

Family Law Initial consultation fee: $100 for 30 minutes. This fee is waived if you retain us for representation.

Full-service representation: $200/hour lawyer rate, $125/hour paralegal rate. We typically quote clients $2,500 to be paid up front, which allows us to pay for your filing fee ($283), Petition for Dissolution or other initial court documents, and a hearing and other follow-up work. Many straight-forward divorces can be completed for under $2,500, although it is highly dependent on how complex the proceedings become. If you cannot afford $2,500, you can go on a payment plan, which consists of an initial payment of a minimum of $1,000, and the rest to be paid automatically via debit or credit card every two weeks or month.

“Unbundled” representation: This means that we represent you for something specific, such as attendance at a hearing, but do not represent you for anything else in your case. Costs for this vary, but typically are as follows:

1. Attendance at a court hearing: $500-$1,500, depending on the type of hearing, court location, and how far in advance you let us know of the appearance.
2. Preparation and/or review of documents: $250-$750, depending on the nature and detail of the document.

Should you go the full-service or unbundled route? The deciding factor is the degree of complexity in your family law case. If you and your ex are on the same page, but want a lawyer to lend a hand getting you to the finish line, unbundled representation is likely your best bet. Are you and your ex fighting over custody of the children? Go full-service representation in that situation.

Whether you go the full-service or unbundled route, we will come up with a personalized legal strategy that works for you.

If you are ready to contact a family law lawyer in Portland, give us a call to schedule your consultation.