Considering Legal Self Representation? Ukiah Firm Offers Help.

Our firm’s experienced Ukiah divorce, child custody, visitation, and support lawyer, Thomas Shields, can help you with all of your family law needs.

During your discounted initial consultation of up to one hour in our Ukiah family law office (or by phone or video conference), our Mendocino County family law lawyer is happy to discuss your matter with you.

We will review “unbundled” legal service options which may be an option without the need to hire us as your “attorney of record.” We provide self-represented family law services to residents of Fort Bragg, Laytonville, Willits, Boonville, Ukiah, and Redwood Valley (as well as other areas) with many flexible options such as:

• Limited Document Preparation Services: Our experienced and highly trained Ukiah family law paralegal prepares legal documents under our attorney’s review and supervision. (Does not include any attorney consulting-coaching beyond the discounted initial consultation except in connection with explaining the documents to you prepared by our paralegal).
• Legal Consulting – Coaching / Unbundled Services (with or without Document Preparation): Our Ukiah family law attorney provides legal advice, guidance, answers your questions and addresses concerns, reviews documents, prepares you for hearings, and analyzes settlement options but you remain self-represented. Our firm can prepare legal documents and correspondence for you at your option.
• Limited Scope Representation: Our Mendocino County family law attorney represents you in a limited manner while you handle the rest of your case.
• Family Law – Divorce Mediation: Our neutral Ukiah family law attorney-mediator assists you and your spouse/partner or other parent in reaching agreements.

Legal Consulting: Ukiah and Mendocino County Area Residents May Choose It Because…

Many people going through divorce in Mendocino County use our self-represented service options when they want to avoid appearing litigious or aggressive. This is often an unintended consequence when lawyers get involved in your sensitive family law matter. Also, many people going through divorce, custody, or child support issues and/or hearings in Ukiah select our self-represented services when they have limited financial resources.

Our Ukiah family law attorney can help you by giving you continuing legal advice and guidance as necessary while staying in the background at all times. Our office can draft complicated legal documents and correspondence for you.

Or, you can draft your own documents and correspondence and we will review them for you. In these situations, our lawyers are not your “attorneys of record.” You remain “self-represented” (or “pro-per”). We do not go to court on your behalf, sign documents for you, or communicate for you.

Thomas Shields, Ukiah Family Law Attorney

However, in a Limited Scope Representation, our lawyer is your “attorney of record” in a limited capacity to be specified by you. Our family law lawyer will go to court and communicate for you but only for the portion of your matter specified by you. You stay in control of all other aspects of your case. This is most often used when a self-represented party only wants a lawyer to present their case in court for them on a one-time only basis.

As an alternative, you might want to use our family law mediation services to help you and your spouse/partner or other parent to reach agreements together.

Often we can provide self-represented and mediation services at a much lower fee to you than our more traditional full service legal representation. However, these services are limited and may not be a right match for you and/or your case.

Please check out our client reviews to see for yourself what our clients have to say about us. It’s our commitment to providing cost-effective quality legal services in a friendly manner that sets us apart from the pack!

Call our Ukiah unbundled family law services firm today at (707) 669-0841 or CLICK HERE to request your discounted initial consultation of up to one hour to determine if our self-represented services are a right match for you!