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Recent Blog Posts
What Is Parental Alienation and How Can It Impact Child Custody?
It practically goes without saying that many divorced or separated parents are not especially fond of each other. Parents who do not see eye-to-eye can struggle to co-parent effectively. Some disagree about their child’s education or church involvement. Others differ with regard to household rules or discipline.
Some parents hold onto anger from their marriage and let this anger influence the way they parent their children. They may talk badly about the other parent or even discourage the child from having a close relationship with the other parent.
In some cases, the situation escalates into parental alienation. Parental alienation occurs when a parent intentionally sabotages the relationship between the child and the other parent. Many experts consider parental alienation to be a form of emotional abuse.
Some Effects of Parental Alienation
Can I Get Custody if My Ex is Abusing Our Child?
The time following a divorce, separation, or other establishment of a court-ordered child custody order can be a time of high conflict between co-parents. Unfortunately, this results in many false accusations of child abuse that judges and courts must spend valuable time and resources investigating.
For those parents who are dealing with real concerns of child abuse, the prevalence of false accusations may make them understandably worried about whether the court will take their concerns seriously. After all, proving child abuse is not always easy, and although your parental intuition may be absolutely sure that something is “off,” it can be difficult to collect evidence to prove it. If you are worried that your ex is abusing your child and you want to take action in the form of a modified custody arrangement, contact an experienced Wisconsin child custody attorney today for help.
When Can a Minor Be Tried as an Adult in Wisconsin?
Every parent hopes for the best for their child. Even when a child struggles with a bad friend group, poor academic performance, impulse control, or other difficulties that contribute towards criminal behavior, it can still be a shock to learn that child is being accused of committing a serious crime.
Wisconsin has a separate juvenile justice system to handle cases of juvenile delinquency, but some crimes can be serious enough to merit treatment in the adult criminal justice system. If your child is facing criminal charges, contact an experienced Wisconsin criminal defense attorney, especially if you are concerned that your child may be tried as an adult.
Which Crimes Can Cause Juveniles to Be Tried as Adults?
Once a child is 17 years old, he or she is considered an adult for the purposes of criminal prosecution. But some of the most serious crimes can allow much younger children to be prosecuted as adults as well, and in some cases, the law even requires it.
You Can Deal with Divorce in a Healthy Way - Here is How
Divorce - despite being incredibly common, it is still a word that carries an enormous amount of stigma and weight. People who are going through divorce often feel as though the burden of the legal negotiations, scheduling chaos, and the societal implications of divorce leave them very little energy or resources for their own well-being.
Fortunately, the divorce process in Wisconsin has mostly changed from being an adversarial endeavor to one that is more focused on seeking resolution and reducing conflict. In addition, therapy for divorce has made enormous strides and divorcees are finding it easier than ever to get the mental support they need as they go through this difficult process. With the help of a great Wisconsin divorce attorney and these tips for handling divorce in a healthy way, you can make it to the other side and thrive.
Will I Go to Jail For a First Time OWI in Wisconsin?
While everyone knows that operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a mistake, many thousands of people have a few too many drinks and then get behind the wheel of their car every year in Wisconsin. The majority of these people, while taking an enormous risk, will make it to their destination safely. Others will get caught in OWI checkpoints, while others will go on to cause serious or even fatal traffic accidents.
Because of the potential life-altering seriousness of OWI accidents, prosecutors are often eager to teach drunk drivers a lesson. If you were just caught driving drunk for the first time (or even driving under the legal limit, in some circumstances), you need to hire an experienced OWI defense attorney who will help you fight the charges.
Penalties for a First-Time OWI Offense
Can I Defend Against a Theft Charge Even if I Was Caught Stealing?
Getting caught shoplifting can be scary, especially if you have never dealt with law enforcement before. Many people who purposely or accidentally shoplift small items are not exactly dangerous criminals, and while that is not an excuse for taking something that does not belong to you, you may rightfully feel as though it would be unfair for you to bear the full brunt of the criminal justice system. If you are facing charges for theft in Wisconsin, you may have options for a solid defense, even if it seems you were caught red-handed.
Possible Defenses Against Criminal Charges of Theft
You may feel as though the police have all the evidence they need to convict you, but they still have to prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt - not always an easy feat when you have a great criminal defense attorney on your side. Depending on the circumstances of your case, your attorney may try to base a defense on one of the following options:
Can I Fight Our Wisconsin Prenup?
Engaged couples often create prenuptial agreements during a blissful, romantic period. While they may have felt themselves to be sensible at the moment, many years of marriage can fundamentally change a couple’s circumstances such that a previously signed prenup may no longer be fair or reasonable. Other times, a spouse will have signed a prenup under pressure from a partner or the partner’s parents, making the prenup unfair from the beginning. While fighting a prenup in Wisconsin civil court during divorce is not easy, there are conditions under which a marital agreement may be contested.
When Can a Prenup Be Contested in Wisconsin?
In order for a prenup to be enforceable, Wisconsin law says the agreement must be equitable for both parties. The assumption is that any given prenuptial agreement is equitable unless proven otherwise, meaning the spouse who wants to fight the prenup will have to prove it is unfair.
How Long Do I Have to Sit in Jail Before My Trial?
People often wonder whether it will be worth it to try to scrounge up the money to pay bail before a criminal trial. It can be difficult to know how long such a trial could take and whether it makes sense to just bear the time in jail rather than come up with the cash to get out.
Citizens of Wisconsin accused of crimes by the state have a right to a speedy trial. Your right to a speedy trial only applies once you are arrested or formally charged with a crime. The state is not simply allowed to keep you in jail forever without bringing charges in a criminal trial.
Unfortunately, this does not mean that the criminal justice system moves quickly or that there are no frustrating delays. It can be easy for the government to come up with excuses for why a trial has been delayed and why a victim’s right to a speedy trial has not been violated. With the help of a great criminal defense attorney, however, you can be sure that your case will move through the courts as quickly as possible.
Can I Keep My Inheritance in a Wisconsin Divorce?
When couples get divorced, the process of diving money, property, and debt is often very contentious. Whereas a couple may have previously shared everything they had, each spouse is now likely trying their hardest to maximize their share of the marital estate. While Wisconsin law makes the process of dividing property fairly straightforward in some regards, certain situations can make it more complex. If you received an inheritance before or during your marriage, you may be wondering whether you get to keep it in a divorce. For answers, read on and then contact an experienced Wisconsin divorce attorney.
What is Considered Marital Property in Wisconsin?
As with most states, Wisconsin considers assets and debts that are accumulated by either spouse during a marriage to be marital property. And because Wisconsin is a community property state, during a divorce, Wisconsin law requires marital property to be divided as equally as possible. But what about assets that spouses owned before the marriage? Or assets that were gotten through gifts and inheritance? While these are generally considered personal property, this can become complicated when funds are used for purposes that benefit the marriage.
Can I Get Arrested for Using a Fake I.D. at a Wisconsin Bar?
Adults who are over 18 but under 21 frequently seek out fake IDs so they can access alcohol and cigarettes. While this may seem like no big deal, the consequences of using a fake ID in Wisconsin can be harsh. Even temporarily borrowing someone else’s ID and representing yourself as the person on the ID, without actually using the ID to buy alcohol, is against the law. If you, your friend, or your child have gotten caught using a fake ID in a Wisconsin bar, grocery store, or restaurant, get help from a criminal defense attorney right away.
Do Police Care if You Are Using a Fake ID in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin police definitely care if a minor is caught using a fake ID to access substances that are otherwise forbidden to them. Not only are police concerned with the dangers that alcohol and cigarettes pose to the developing brains of underage adults, but the police need IDs to be reliable so that people can be identified whenever necessary. For example, imagine you were carrying someone else’s ID and something terrible happened to you. Identifying you and contacting your family members could be much more difficult, to say nothing of the confusion and suffering that may be caused by the actual ID holder’s family.
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