Family Law

I enjoy working with clients who are seeking a cooperative, non-adversarial approach whenever possible. I also enjoy advocating for my client's rights. I focus on helping clients assess which legal process most suits their needs, ranging from individual consultation, collaborative law, mediation, or traditional representation in litigation.

Divorce

I have a broad range of skills for clients facing separations, including divorce. I am fully prepared to act as a collaborative attorney, a mediator, as a consulting attorney to self-represented clients, and as an advocate in court.

CA, Dec 1981
Bar Number: 99809

Certified Family Law Specialist
California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization

California
Federal

Contra Costa Bar Association
California State Bar Association
The Association for Conflict Resolution
Contra Costa Collaborative Practice Group
The Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

I take annual two-day family law update courses as well as other ongoing programs on the substantive law. I also attend an average of at least two to three days per year of advanced mediation and collaborative law training programs. Additionally, I teach courses on mediation and out-of-court dispute resolution techniques to lawyers for State Bar credit. I always exceed the annual minimum required units for continuing education.

I wrote an article entitled "Mediation - A Better Way," published in the San Francisco Law Journal in April 1998 to convince other lawyers of the validity of using mediation to settle all forms of civil cases, including (in addition to family law) business partnership disputes, personal injury disputes, real estate and construction litigation, workplace and employment disputes, and other areas. I have also written shorter articles which I provide to clients, marriage counselors, and other professionals to educate them about mediation and collaborative law. Since 2002, I have taught mediation courses to lawyers, including a 40 hour introductory course as well as three hour advanced training programs.

In one litigation case, I had to spend months "following the money" (pouring through bank records) so that my client ended up with a settlement of $5 million dollars instead of nothing for one-half of the family business.

In another matter, a mediation case, the most important thing was for me to be present with the parties while they articulated their goals and needs in the midst of the pain they were feeling from closing out their marriage. My ability to listen while being present with them enabled me to lead them forward through the process of putting their ideas together with their practical options, helping them to find solutions together. This course of action resulted in a mediated settlement agreement of their entire case.

In some cases, my client's spouse has been the person in the marriage who managed the family finances. I've seen clients start the whole matter feeling overwhelmed by money issues. By enabling these clients to fully grasp the financial issues and then team them with financial advisors, they learned to independently manage their finances by the time the divorce was completed. In other cases, while my own client has had a reasonably fair and balanced perspective, the spouse on the other side has had unrealistic expectations and an imbalanced sense of entitlement. In these cases, I have always calmly, respectfully but firmly communicated my analysis of the law and its equitable objectives to the other party or their attorney and pursued cooperative negotiation whenever possible. In all cases, I only advise my clients to go to court when it is evident that doing so is the most cost effective way to get a reasonably fair result in keeping with their goals.

1

California

After being admitted to practice law in California in 1981, I opened my own solo practice in 1984. In addition to providing traditional legal advice and court representation since 1981, I have offered mediation since 1991 and collaborative law services since 1997. In 1997, I was certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. I have been a member of a collaborative practice group, Collaborative Practice East Bay (CPEB), since 2005.

My goals go beyond simply getting my clients a just and fair result in their legal case. I want to get them that result with as little negative fall-out and as much positive personal progress as possible. To that end, I strive to use the most non-adversarial approach which fits that particular case. I strongly believe that my clients are best served if they can look back and feel good about knowing that they, as much as possible under the circumstances, used the most humane and enlightened approach to resolving their legal conflict.

Before I became a lawyer in 1981, I was a student and worked in the food service and theatrical production industries.

I am certified as an Advanced Practitioner Mediator by the Association for Conflict Resolution. I have been given certificates of appreciation by the Contra Costa Bar Association for pro bono work, including designing the present structure of the Family Law Alternative Resolution (FLARe) legal referral panel and teaching Pro Per Clinics to self-represented family law litigants.

Carol Willis

(925) 274-0364

Monday through Thursday:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Friday:
9:00 a.m. to noon.

No

I am a student of the Spanish language.

I do not offer any services for a fixed fee.

$395.

Free consultation is not offered; instead I charge a reduced rate of $150 for the first hour of consultation (or mediation orientation). Thereafter, all services are charged at the regular hourly rate.

Mediation - $2,000.
Collaborative family law - $4,500.
Consulting - $1,500.
In-court litigation - $7,500.

Retainer levels must be maintained. Unearned amounts are refundable.