Divorce

Johnson County, Kansas, Divorce Lawyer

Property Division · Child Custody · Support

Divorce does not have to be a drawn-out, emotionally charged legal battle punctuated by spiteful reprisals and huge attorneys' fees. At Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law, I strive to keep this difficult process as amicable, stress-free, and inexpensive as possible.

I am a solo divorce lawyer with 14 years of experience in all aspects of family law. From my office in Overland Park, I represent clients throughout Johnson County, Kansas, and others who need representation in the Johnson County courts.

Compassionate and Fair Representation
Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law represents both women and men. While women almost always seek legal representation, many men are willing to represent themselves if they feel they are being treated fairly.When a husband is not represented, I talk to him just as I would talk to his attorney if he had one. I offer him information and tell him where he can verify it.

Focused on Agreements, Prepared for Litigation
A divorce involves three main issues: the property settlement, custody of children, and financial support. My job is to protect the interests of my client in each of these areas. My philosophy is to avoid unnecessary animosity and litigation by bringing both people to agreement through mediation and negotiation whenever possible. When divorce cases must be resolved in court, however, I am very tough-minded in defending my clients' positions.

Filing First
There is sometimes an advantage to filing first for divorce. If the other spouse has not retained legal counsel, the court may approve temporary orders in your favor, such as possession of the house (requiring the other person to move out), temporary primary custody, and temporary child support. (Court orders will generally reflect a status quo - if the child lives primarily with the other parent you likely won't get temporary custody by filing for divorce.)

Dividing the Marital Assets
The court requires an "equitable" property division, but that doesn't necessarily mean an exact 50/50 split of assets. As a skilled negotiator, I help secure a fair deal for my client without wasting time and money seeking assets the court will never award.

Many people squabble over the "forks and spoons" instead of focusing on the major assets: the home, retirement accounts, business interests, and investments. I help my clients make a list of all assets, and we may hire experts to determine true market value. With an accurate picture of the marital estate, we can negotiate trade-offs, such as one spouse keeping the equity in the house in exchange for a larger share of a retirement plan.

I advise clients on the "hidden costs" of various assets, such as the Realtor's fee, costs of preparing a home for sale, and the tax consequences of cashing in a retirement plan. I prepare Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO's), which order the division of retirement plans between the divorcing spouses. There are no tax consequences to this split unless one party cashes in his/her share before retirement.

Custody and Parenting Time (Visitation)
I remind divorcing parents that they will continue a relationship with the other parent for years to come. I stress that the best interests of the children should guide all decisions about custody arrangements and parenting time.

Child Support and Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)
I make sure child support and spousal support payments ordered in the divorce decree are fair and reasonable.

The Law Firm of Jean W. Wise, Attorney at Law has handled hundreds of divorces in Johnson County, from uncontested divorce to litigation over large marital estates, and involving every aspect of custody and child support. Contact a Johnson County divorce lawyer for compassionate, diligent, and tough-minded legal counsel. Evening and weekend appointments available. I accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.