Orange County Divorce Attorneys

The right Orange County divorce attorney can make a positive difference

The Right Orange County Divorce Lawyer Can Make a Positive Difference

Divorce lawyers in Orange County may feel like a dime a dozen. But the good ones are not. That is what you want - not just any lawyer to handle your divorce but a family law firm that fits you and your case. That is why you are here.

Our family law firm's uncompromising goal is the result oriented representation of our clients. Our divorce attorneys' honest and hard-working representation starts at the core of who we are as people.

In our personal lives, we strive to care for our own families. In our family law firm, our divorce lawyers focus on yours. We do this because you face a spouse to whom you once committed your love, but with whom you now face a separation and divorce.

The divorce attorneys at Farzad & Ochoa have the legal experience, courtroom experience and life experience that helps us excel for our clients. We represent husbands and wives, fathers and mothers going through or are about to embark on one of the most challenging times of their lives. And we get results. Read what one of our clients wrote about us:

I was very impressed with the level of service I received…I met and spoke with the actual attorneys who would be representing me. They explained everything they could, should, and would do in a way that made me feel they had my best interest in mind. I was not overloaded with paperwork or unnecessary phone calls in an attempt to jack up their billing hours. Communications were clear, concise, and open. I never felt like I was just another file. When they were with me, they were focused on me. I believe they cared about me and the outcome of my case.

Communication is the cornerstone of the family law attorney and client relationship

Mothers trust our Orange County family law attorneys with their cases and children

At our law firm, we excel at communicating and we expect the same in return. How do we do this?

You talk to your divorce attorney about your case's facts and issues, not a secretary or paralegal. Our attorneys are never too busy to return your phone call or speak with you. That, by itself, is very different from how most Orange County divorce lawyers handle their cases.
Your divorce attorney communicates with you about strategy and budget. We talk about planning and preparation for court appearances and any significant event coming up. This includes court, mediation, meetings and conferences.
Your divorce attorney makes him or herself available by telephone, email and in person.
Your divorce attorney will not take important actions on your case without first consulting with you and gaining your consent. If you have questions, your lawyer will take the time to answer them and make sure you understand what we are doing and why. We don't make decisions for you. Our family law lawyers collaborate with you. The final choices are with you and you stay in control of your case, as it should be.
If there is ever an emergency after business hours or on the weekend, you will have your divorce lawyer's cell phone number to contact.

Fathers trust our Orange County divorce attorneys with their cases and kids…you should too.

Notice we stated we expect the same level of communication from you. That means when you decide to hire our family law firm, we expect you will take your case seriously and communicate with us effectively throughout your representation.

This is important to us and to you. For our Orange County divorce attorneys to take on a case, we must believe you want effective representation focused on reasonable results consistent with the facts and the law.

This is not something that just happens.

Our divorce lawyers ask you questions right at the outset of the case about the facts and issues. Our expectation is you will take the time and care to answer them. When we have your first answers, we will follow through with more questions until we have clarity on all the important facts.

Time, caring and patience.

Your divorce lawyer will give you all three. You get the reward of having an advocate that knows your case and knows how to present it in both settlement discussions and family court.

We have also learned through years of experience the best divorce clients are good-hearted, well-meaning and well intended men and women. The kind we represent are ones who want the best for themselves and their children. There is a direct correlation between that type of client which our family law attorneys enjoy representing and results. Our divorce lawyers work hard to effectively and aggressively represent good people and we see their deep appreciation.

Want examples? Here are some testimonials written by clients:

Amidst a major life crisis that turned my entire life upside down, when I was terrified, morose, and confused, I found Robert who helped me find clarity and calm throughout the legal process. He is always willing to go above and beyond when it comes to communication with clients - late night emails, weekend meetings if necessary, and quick response time for any and all questions.

[Robert] and his team were always there to answer the phone, provide advice, and therefore, drastically lowering my stress level and anxiety. He was right, it takes a little bit of time and patience, but the outcome was finally both in the best interest of my kids and fair to me.

Mr. Farzad is very accommodating and fair. He is very attentive . If you ever need to reach him for any matter, he will return your phone call or email very promptly. Although his clients are going through a very difficult time, he will act very firmly on his clients behalf and make sure that they are making the right decision under the circumstances.

How our Orange County divorce attorneys and you build a strategy that is right for your case

Before we tell you what we mean by strategy, read what our past clients write about it and how our divorce lawyers helped them.

They immediately analyzed my situation and put together a sound strategy to achieve the best outcome for my divorce. Throughout the process they gave me great legal advise to avoid costly mistakes. Furthermore, they worked efficiently on my case by focusing their time on the issues that really mattered.

He understood my goals to have a divorce that financially protected my teenage daughter and achieved the best possible outcome for all parties while keeping costs at a reasonable level. Robert then carefully outlined his strategy and potential outcome given what I needed accomplished. During the back and forth with the other side, I always received the best possible advice and Robert worked very hard to make sure that my daughter was well protected. The final outcome was as Robert had predicted from the very beginning and I was very pleased.

Robert explained in full detail how the law in California is applied and directed for fathers seeking custody. He gave me options! Options that were not presented to me when I met previous lawyers. I knew Robert Farzad was as determined as me to fight on my behalf for my rights and for my child. He knew exactly what needed to be done, how to proceed, and what was expected throughout the custody battle.

Too many spouses file divorce petitions or respond to them without having any plan or purpose. It is almost like they expect everything to just figure itself out over time while they give their lawyers an open checkbook.

That is not the smart way to handle a divorce.

Together, you and your divorce lawyer can put together a plan and a strategy. If you have a divorce case with complex child custody, support or property issues, the need for planning and preparation as well as a strategy become more important.

The strategy to which we refer starts before filing the divorce petition. It carries through the entire case, to the end.

The strategy may get modified from time to time as new facts or new events occur.

Even if you have a simple case or you are unmarried and the only issues are child custody and child support, a strategy is still necessary.

Here are some examples, for both married and unmarried couples, of questions and issues that you and your family law attorney will discuss and strategize about:

California divorce process and laws

California divorce laws can get complex. We have written a guide on our State's laws in a frequently asked question format.
The law is one thing but the process that gets a divorce case there from start to finish is something else. Check out our guide on the California divorce process, also written in an FAQ section.

Child custody and parenting time

What is the current status quo of the child custody and visitation issues? Should it change? California child custody laws can get complex in this regard.
Are immediate child custody orders necessary? Do you and the other parent have an informal arrangement that can continue forward without an immediate, formal order?
Are there any joint legal custody issues coming up which may cause disagreement between you and the other parent? These usually include education, health for extracurricular activity issues.
Are you concerned about any physical or emotional abuse of the children by the other parent?
Are you concerned the other parent is engaging in any parental alienation or intends to do so?
Is there a documented or undocumented history of domestic violence that will affect custody decisions and potentially court orders?
Does your case need a private child custody evaluation also known as a 730 evaluation or an Orange County child custody investigation?

Child support and alimony issues

Are you and your spouse or the other parent W-2 employees?
Are you and your spouse or the other parent self-employed?
Is a forensic accounting necessary to calculate income?
Do you believe your spouse or the parent is hiding income?
Is your spouse or the other parent refusing to work, putting the entire support obligation on you? If so, is a vocational evaluation or court order to impute income to the other spouse or parent needed?
Are you a long-term marriage or a short one and how long should spousal support be?
Did you and your spouse lead a frugal or lavish lifestyle, or something in between?
Are there any facts that justify a reduction or termination in spousal support?

Property and asset issues

Should all the marital property and assets be split 50-50 because they are community pursuant to California law?
Are any assets separate property of either you or your spouse?
What evidence is there to prove your or your spouse's separate property claims?
Are you concerned your spouse is hiding or diverting community property assets?
Has your spouse accused you of the same thing and what evidence does he or she have, if any, to support the accusation?
Is a forensic accountant necessary to value the business? Is a forensic accounting necessary to trace any community or separate property assets, claims or reimbursements?

Attorneys fees and costs

Do you understand what factors the court takes into consideration when deciding whether to award attorney fees in a California divorce case?
Are you the higher income earner? Do you have an exposure to an attorney fee claim by your spouse? If so, what can we do to mitigate or stop any attorney fee orders against you?
Are you the lower income earner? Can your spouse pay all or part of your attorney fees? If so, should that request be filed immediately or after some formal discovery about income and assets? Read our guide on Family Code 2030 through 2032 to understand your options.
Are there assets or accounts, whether community or separate, that you want liquidated to give you money to hire a divorce lawyer?
Is your spouse threatening or are you facing an attorney fee motion to liquidate your separate property assets unjustifiably?
Does Family Code 271 apply to your case? Do you have the facts necessary to seek sanctions against your spouse?

Settlement of your divorce

Is your divorce case right for a private mediation?
Is it better to approach your divorce from a collaborative perspective or litigation?
Are the assets and income well-known and not in dispute so we can settle your case early or is there a need to conduct formal discovery?

Special issues in divorce and family law cases

Are you divorcing a narcissist husband or divorcing a narcissist wife? If so what is the history of that narcissism and how has it has played out during your marriage? How will it affect your divorce?
Have you already been falsely accused in your divorce of domestic violence or falsely accused of child abuse during your marriage or pending divorce? If so, how do we defend those allegations and defeat them?
Are you a stay-at-home mom going through a divorce and do not know how you will afford a good divorce lawyer or financially survive without immediate support?
Is your case one that involves special issues of father's rights in California? Is the other parent threatening to take the children away from you or has already started to do so?

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the issues we will strategize about. It gives you a snapshot of some of the things we will discuss and analyze.

You should expect this from any divorce lawyer you hire. If the divorce lawyer you're considering has not proactively told you that he or she intends to build a strategy with you (and he or she should bring this up) or the divorce lawyer you currently have is not helping you build a strategy, you should look into whether you are represented well.

Our Orange County divorce lawyers will help prepare a budget that fits your needs

Time is money and your money matters for your future and that of your kids. Our divorce attorneys help you plan a budget

Budgets in divorce and family law cases get complex because there is a degree of unpredictability. Nobody can predict what your spouse will do in or out of court anymore than your spouse can predict what you may do.

Very few people have an open checkbook to do whatever they want on a divorce case. Our family law attorneys had situations, just like any experienced divorce lawyer has, where a client will make choices or act on some issues and not others for budgetary reasons or a cost versus benefit analysis.

These choices are a big part of the budget as well as the planning and preparation for attorney's fees in the divorce case.

No budget is static and unmodifiable. The fees will generally be either at an hourly rate or a flat fee. The great majority of divorce lawyers in Orange County charge an hourly rate. Be careful of divorce lawyers who quote you flat fees for divorce cases. The service you receive may be cheap and a waste of money.

In the world of divorce and family law, you often get what you pay for.

A big part of this budget is ensuring you are clear and have signed a written retainer agreement about:

Your lawyer's hourly rate,
The scope of the services and whether there are limitations to it,
First deposit,
Payment of costs that are independent of fees, and
What expectations exist for more deposits.

When you leave a divorce lawyer's office, be crystal clear about these issues.

Our law firm excels at communicating with our clients about the planning and preparation of a budget and preparing for attorneys fees. We discuss with you the prospect of obtaining attorney fee orders and defending attorney fee requests by your spouse or other parent.

Our retainer terms include our rates and everything we have discussed above is laid out in clear and concise language. It's all in writing and you get plenty of time to review, initial date and sign it. We don't take shortcuts and we take our time to make sure you understand what we are doing for you and why we're doing it.

Too often, attorneys fees in divorce cases become higher than expected. Some reasons this can happen include:

A divorce attorney churning a file, which is another way of saying the lawyer is wasting fees for the sake of billing.
A client who has taken unreasonable positions on the case and an attorney who allows it.
Not being assertive enough, including not filing attorney fee requests, when the other spouse has taken unreasonable positions and caused unnecessary fees and costs,
Being too aggressive on simple family law issues or any issue that does not need the volume of litigation caused.

Read what a couple of past clients wrote in a review of attorney Robert Farzad, the law firm's president and senior attorney.

Robert will fight for the needs and safety of your children. He is the voice of reason amidst the chaos of a divorce or custody battle!

He was impeccably prepared for the hearing and literally eviscerated my ex while she was under oath. By the time he was done, the arbitrator saw my ex for who she really was. The judgment reflected this in its entirety. I was awarded virtually all remaining assets, visitation was set according to my wishes and support cut to next to nothing.

Reasonable Expectations in a Divorce

Expectations should be reasonable and logical. We help you get there.

You do not want an Orange County divorce lawyer who is your cheerleader.

You do not want a divorce lawyer who's going to tell you what you want to hear.

You do not want a divorce lawyer who is going to mislead you that a frivolous position is one that has merit or that you can prevail on an issue when the facts and the law do not support it.

While hearing what you want to hear and someone telling you that may make you feel better in the short run, it has no long-term benefit to you, your children or the divorce or paternity case.

Honesty is the best policy.We follow an honest and candid approach.

Our divorce lawyers do not tell you that a position is weak when it is strong or vice versa.

Our divorce lawyers do not direct you to a path that we think is foolish or a waste of time and money just so we can bill for it.

We expect you will never use the children as leverage, will not insist on litigation just to drive up fees and you will make decisions in your divorce case logically and not emotionally.

At the same time, our divorce lawyers will represent you zealously and in a no-nonsense manner. Each of our attorneys are result oriented and work hard to get you reasonable results. That is what you want in a divorce lawyer. That is what you get with us, just as these family law clients did…

Robert Farzad is a genius. When you read his motions for the court you will see how much insight he has. It is factual and honest, right to the point. It is also like a poetry. My ex-wife accused me of everything possible there is. Robert is able to connect thing together. He worked my case from the perspective of family law, criminal law, juvenile law and also the civil law. He understood how to work with social workers, police, psychologists and even opposing lawyers and the child's counsel were giving him compliments. When Robert Farzad speaks in the court he will direct to him all of the attention of the court. I personally sat on about 10 depositions with different people on my case and it was very, very satisfying to see how Robert decimated lies and dishonesty.

I was referred to the firm by a close friend of mine. From the first phone call to the final court appearance, the professionalism and attention to detail of the staff were nothing short of fantastic. They kept me informed and most importantly, they got me results.

Our family law firm has the resources, strength and experience to handle any divorce or paternity case, no matter how large or complex.

We are a multi-lawyer Orange County family law firm.

Our attorneys handle one area of law and that is family law.

Our lawyers represent married and unmarried men and women for all of their divorce and paternity needs. This includes pre and post judgment. We are not personal injury lawyers. We are not bankruptcy attorneys. We don't handle immigration or any other area of law.

Do you know how many divorce lawyers in Orange County can say that?

Not many.

And you should think about whether you want a family law firm like ours that handles cases like yours every day and all day or whether you want a law firm that handles other areas of law they juggle along with family law?

Do you want to be juggled? Most people do not.

Our law firm has skilled and knowledgeable divorce and family law attorneys who can take on any spouse, any parent on the other side and any law firm out there.

Our Orange County divorce lawyers are proud of our reputation in Family Court, the respect that we receive from family law judges as well as our colleagues.

We love the results we have achieved and continue to get for our divorce and family law clients.

We deeply appreciate the praise and accolades clients give us.

For a sample of reviews for our Orange County divorce attorneys, please visit our review and testimonial page.

Contact our Orange County divorce attorneys for a case strategy session

With our Orange County family law firm, you are in goods hands. Contact us today for a case strategy session and let's get your case and life on track.

Our Family Law Client Testimonial Page has real reviews from actual clients who reached out and wanted to tell our Orange County divorce lawyers how thankful they were. The clients appreciated the efficient and intelligent representation we showed them and the care with which we handled their family law case.

Our Case Results Page shows a sample of victories our family law attorneys have achieved in and out of the courtroom for our clients.

Obviously, testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of your family law matter.

Don't let the confusion, anger, frustration or sadness take hold of you.

Put the strength of our family law firm on your side.

It's the first step to your case's success and it starts the moment you contact us.

Ready to talk, we're ready to help.