Alisha Sikes

A desire to help others and a love of research have always been driving factors in my life.

My career began in the tech industry after attending Sonoma State University and obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. It wasn’t until a very personal situation arose with my sister that I made the decision to alter my career path.

My sister found herself with two small children, separated from her now ex-husband and he was refusing to pay child support. She didn’t know what to do and I tried my best to help her research her options. I started making calls to the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) in hopes of obtaining the help she needed. The department would not speak with me since it was my sister’s case, and I was not an attorney. So, I researched how to get a job there.

In a few short months, I was an employee at the Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services as a file clerk. I progressed through the ranks to a Child Support Officer III (lead caseworker) where I used my sister’s experience as a catalyst to help me help others in need.

While working at DCSS, I worked in several different units, but my longest position was as the lead Child Support Officer in the child support order modification unit. This unit worked directly under attorneys. We would interview clients, attend hearings, and modify court orders. This gave me my first real taste of a legal career.

There were two specific attorneys who would request that their cases be handled only by me. I learned so much about the law working under their guidance. They would repeatedly tell me that I should attend law school, as the law just came naturally to me.

Finally, seven years into my career at DCSS, I began attending law school at Empire College School of Law (while raising two children), obtaining my Juris Doctorate degree so that I could help more people than only DCSS clients and my sister.

During this time, my sister was ready to start her divorce proceedings. Once again, my research skills kicked in and I prepared all the necessary paperwork for her divorce, custody, and support case. My experience leading up to this point was a huge benefit as I worked on her divorce, and I was introduced officially to Family Law. The personal nature of it gave me a deep appreciation for this work.

After my time at DCSS, I began working for a private law firm. I worked in bankruptcy law, property law, and business law but none of them felt like a fit. Family was the reason I got into this profession and Family Law was where I would find my way. Being an advocate for children is a major reason this type of law appeals to me.

I am here to help you in your time of need and give you the best information possible to make informed decisions. I use my ability to find multiple solutions to complex problems to provide you with creative options.

When I work with you, I genuinely enjoy preparing your case for court and ensuring the court has an accurate depiction of the facts and circumstances involved. You’ve heard the term, “no nonsense” and while I will say (and others would agree) it describes me, it simply means that I will keep you on track and will tell it to you straight. When you come to me, you are at a turning point, I will share what I feel are the right moves from a legal perspective, whether those conversations are tough or not. I want you to have the best possible outcome.

I love being creative in the application of the law. It is my firm belief that most cases are won or lost by the preparation done prior to court rather than what transpires in the courtroom. I do not shy away from an argument because I know that I have researched the legal standings and that my position is backed by the law and facts.

I realize you are disclosing your finances and delving into personal problems, and I know how hard it is. I will always be honest and help you take the most reasonable path. Most importantly, I want you to feel comfortable. The relationship with my clients is what I value most about my job.

On a personal note, I am married to my husband whom I met in college, and we have two daughters, one adult and one teen. We spent much of our daughters’ school careers on the soccer or lacrosse fields. Knowing nothing about those sports before my daughters played gave me another terrific opportunity to exercise my research skills! I am now quite versed in all things soccer and lacrosse!

We love to travel together as a family. Our favorite place is Aruba. I prefer my own cooking to any restaurant. I love cooking with my daughters and grilling out in our backyard. I am not a big TV person, but if I do sit down to watch a show, I watch repeats of Criminal Minds or catch up on the news. I feel that knowledge and awareness of the world around me is so important. I also enjoy supporting my local community in as many ways as I can.

At Wine Country Family Law, P.C., we are entirely client-centered, and because we focus solely in Family Law, we are constantly learning and growing in the field of divorce, child custody, child support, and spousal support. When you choose our practice, every attorney here becomes part of your team. I look forward to meeting you.

What Working With Our Team Is Like

As a potential client, you will first talk to our intake team to determine if your legal issue is something we can assist you with. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so even if you are reading this at 3 a.m., feel free to call. From there, you will book an initial consultation and pay your consultation fee.

When you are a current client and call the office, our friendly Legal Case Administrator will connect you to your paralegal to discuss next steps, or will schedule an appointment with your attorney. Our goal is to discuss your unique situation, discover solutions moving forward and end your meeting feeling more at ease than when you started.

You can always email your attorney and/or paralegal with questions and concerns. We provide you with a link to your attorney’s calendar to schedule appointments directly. We will text and email appointment reminders to you. If we need you to sign a document, it will typically be provided to you to sign electronically.

You won’t ever have to wait on something important if your attorney is out sick or on vacation. When you work with us, you work with our team. Every week, our attorneys brainstorm cases and discuss solutions and strategies together, harnessing the power of our collective knowledge and experience.

Our fabulous paralegals are also here to help you with any forms or other non-legal questions. Our Legal Case Administrator will assist with any billing questions and scheduling. In addition, you will always have access to your case documents in your secure portal provided to you. You can provide us documents via your portal, as well.

Our Firm Constitution

We keep our clients well-informed, communicate clearly, and are responsive to their needs. We listen with compassion. Our clients feel heard and their needs and objectives identified and understood.

We work with honesty and integrity. We are real with our clients. We support the ongoing health and well-being of our clients and their families. We guide clients to persevere through life’s challenges in a meaningful direction.

We are humble and unpretentious legal professionals. We stay true to our values, never compromising our professionalism or ethics in the face of adversity.

We are bold, exploring unconventional and creative measures to advance our clients’ needs. We are leaders, not followers.

We are open-minded, adaptable, and always learning. We embrace technology to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and to provide convenience to our clients.

We work hard.

We are supportive of our teammates. We are real with each other. We value a sense of humor and foster a friendly, positive work environment.

We maintain a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives. We seek methods to encourage personal wellness to bring our best selves to our clients and our team.

The entire team at Wine Country Family Law, P.C. shares the same core values.

At the end of the day, we give you reasonable advice. We want what is best for your family and your children. We welcome challenging and complex cases. If we are not the right fit, we will do our best to refer you to someone who can help. We care. We will work to earn your trust. We strive to give you as much attention as possible and work toward peaceful resolutions. We want you to walk away from this experience with dignity.

If we sound like the legal team for you, please reach out.