You didn’t plan for this.
We did.
Decree is a family law firm that handles the custody schedules, retirement account divisions, and business valuations that define what comes next — with the precision they deserve.
“The restraint of a well-prepared attorney is the loudest thing in a courtroom.”
The questions keeping you up at 2 a.m. have answers.
Who stays in the house?
Whether you keep it, sell it, or buy out your spouse depends on equity, mortgage qualification, and what a judge would actually order. We map every scenario before you decide.
What happens to the retirement accounts?
Decades of 401(k) contributions, pensions, and deferred compensation don't split automatically. A QDRO executed correctly protects your future. An error costs you years.
How do the kids' schedules work?
Courts look at stability, school districts, and parental availability — not just what you're asking for. We build parenting plans that hold up to modification requests and relocation.
My spouse already hired someone.
This is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to move deliberately. An attorney on the other side does not change the law — it changes the timeline. We've been here before.
The business is involved.
Business valuation in divorce is its own discipline. We work with forensic accountants and business appraisers to make sure the number on the table reflects reality, not a negotiating position.
Every concern has a named path forward.
Each area below represents a common point of uncertainty — and a clear line of resolution.
High-Asset Divorce
Complex estates divided with precision, not approximation.
Real property, investment portfolios, stock options, and deferred compensation — each requires a different instrument. We identify what exists before the other side does.
Child Custody & Parenting Plans
Schedules built around your children's actual lives.
Legal and physical custody, holiday rotations, school-year transitions, and relocation provisions — drafted to hold under pressure and modification attempts.
Property & Asset Division
Every account, deed, and debt categorized and resolved.
Separate property traced. Marital estate valued. Equitable distribution argued with documentation, not assumptions.
Business Valuation & Protection
Your company's value determined by experts, not your spouse's attorney.
We retain forensic accountants and certified business appraisers. Goodwill, active vs. passive appreciation, and buyout structures are negotiated with the numbers to back them.
Spousal Support & Maintenance
Duration and amount argued from income evidence, not guesswork.
Standard of living, earning capacity, and health — properly documented and presented to reach a defensible outcome.
Mediation & Collaborative Law
Resolution without a courtroom, when it's the right path.
Not every case belongs in front of a judge. When circumstances allow, we move efficiently through mediation — preserving both assets and time.
The arc works. Here is what it looks like.
All outcomes below are anonymized. Client details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
A business owner retained 100% equity through a structured buyout.
The marital business was initially valued at $2.4M by opposing counsel. After forensic accounting review, active vs. passive appreciation was properly allocated. A structured buyout over 36 months satisfied the marital estate without forcing a sale.
A stay-at-home parent kept the family home and maintained school-district continuity.
Equity offset against retirement account division allowed the primary caregiver to remain in the marital home through the children's secondary schooling. Mortgage qualification was addressed through temporary support structure.
Unvested RSUs and deferred bonus were excluded from the marital estate.
A technology executive's unvested equity compensation was traced to post-separation performance. Using the time-rule formula, a significant portion was characterized as separate property, reducing the equitable distribution pool by over $800,000.
A parent successfully relocated internationally with children.
A relocation petition was supported by detailed documentation of career necessity, proposed visitation schedule, and child welfare analysis. The modification was granted with a structured international visitation plan.
Your situation is specific. So is our approach.
A private consultation maps what applies to your case — not someone else’s.
Three steps from uncertainty to a clear folder with every option laid out.
Private Consultation
A 60-minute confidential session. We listen to every detail, identify what's at stake, and tell you exactly what the law says about your situation — before you decide anything.
Case Strategy
A written strategy memo outlining your legal position, the opposing party's likely arguments, and the recommended path — negotiated resolution, mediation, or litigation.
Structured Resolution
We move methodically through each issue — asset by asset, schedule by schedule — until every open question has a documented answer and a signed agreement or court order.
By the time you reach the final step, the question is no longer “What happens to me?” — it’s “Which of these options do I choose?”
The first conversation costs you nothing.
Not knowing costs everything.
A private, 60-minute consultation. No commitment. No judgment. Just a clear picture of your legal position and the options in front of you.
All consultations are strictly confidential. Attorney-client privilege attaches from your first communication.