“I called the Lakeland office the morning I was served. By that afternoon I knew what the next two weeks looked like, and that was enough to let me sleep.”
Danielle R.Divorce, Polk County
Orlando · Lakeland · Ocala
Whatever this year has done to your family, start close to home
Three family lawyers, an office in each town, and one plain way of working through a case. Pick what's going on to see what the first few weeks usually look like.
What's happening at home?
- We've decided to divorceOr one of us has, and the other isn't there yet
- We can't agree on the kids' scheduleSchool weeks, holidays, a move to another town
- The support numbers don't work anymoreChild support or alimony, set for the first time or changed
- I don't feel safe at homeProtective orders, asked for or answered
What we take on
The family cases every one of our offices handles
Orlando, Lakeland and Ocala each take all four. Whichever office you call, the lawyer who meets you first stays on your case.
Divorce
Uncontested or contested, short marriages and long ones, the house, the retirement accounts and the debts.
Read about divorceParenting plans
A schedule for school weeks, summers and holidays, and changes when a job or a move makes the old one stop working.
Read about parenting plansSupport
Child support worked out from both incomes, alimony when it applies, and a request to change either when life does.
Read about supportProtective orders
Help asking a judge for protection quickly, and a careful answer if someone has filed one against you.
Read about protective orders
Who you'll be talking to
Lawyers who do school pickup in your town, too
Octavio Barrientos opened the Ocala office first. Sabine Lockhart runs Orlando and Wenhao Tsang runs Lakeland. All three are raising kids in the towns where they practice.
That matters more than it sounds. A parenting plan has to survive an ordinary Tuesday: the bell schedule, the drive on I-4, the practice that runs late. We write plans for the weeks you'll actually have, because we have those weeks too.
From clients
What people told us after the last court date
“Our schedule had been rewritten by text so many times nobody knew whose weekend it was. Sabine put it on paper with every holiday spelled out, and the arguing mostly stopped.”
Marcus T.Parenting plan, Orange County
“Octavio told me straight what a judge would likely change about our support order and what would stay. Knowing that, we settled it between us.”
Lorraine P.Support change, Marion County
Shared with each client's permission. Every family's case is different, and these don't predict how yours will go.
Before you call
Asked on the first call, in every office
If yours isn't here, ask it on the phone. There's no wrong first question.
Do I have to use the office nearest my house?
No. Any of the three can take your case, and most meetings after the first can happen by video. Most people choose the office closest to the courthouse their case is filed in.
What does the first meeting cost?
The first meeting is one hour, at a set fee quoted when you book. If you hire us afterward, that amount comes off your first bill. We'll tell you before it ends what we think the case will need.
I've been served papers. How long do I have?
Not long, usually a few weeks, and the date is on the papers. Call the day you get them and bring them to the first meeting, even the pages that don't make sense yet.
Will my children have to talk to a judge?
Usually not. Judges hear from children only in some cases, and if yours might be one, we'll talk it through with you well before anything is scheduled.
What if I need to leave this website quickly?
The Leave this site button at the top of every page opens a weather page right away. If you're in danger now, call 911 first, then call us when you can.
Three offices
Pick the front door nearest you
Same lawyers, same fees and the same way of working in each town. Every office has parking on site.
Orlando
Address: 315 E Robinson Street, Suite 410 Orlando, FL 32801Phone: (407) 555-0163Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pmGarage entrance on Magnolia Avenue
Directions to the Orlando officeLakeland
Address: 125 S Kentucky Avenue, Suite 200 Lakeland, FL 33801Phone: (863) 555-0127Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pmTwo blocks from Lake Mirror
Directions to the Lakeland officeOcala
Address: 112 SE Fort King Street Ocala, FL 34471Phone: (352) 555-0148Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:30am – 5:30pm Saturday: 9am – 12pmParking behind the building
Directions to the Ocala office
Bring the papers, or just the question
Call the office nearest you, or send a short note about the kind of case and a lawyer will call you back.
Please don't send private details until we've spoken.