Divorce & Family Law

When you need an experienced family law attorney in Lakeland, Florida, trust the future of your family to Michael S. Farrell. Michael S. Farrell is a child support attorney that knows all the laws and regulations governing a variety of child custody issues. When you need a child custody attorney, Michael S. Farrell is a resource that understands all the applicable laws, rules and where your rights fit in. For difficult and stressful processes like custody cases, make sure you have a dedicated lawyer like Michael S. Farrell on your side. Our law office is also here for you if you need an experienced divorce attorney. Make sure your side and interests in the divorce proceedings are properly represented. Michael S. Farrell will have your back from start to finish. When you need a divorce lawyer, you'll feel a whole lot better with Michael S. Farrell on your side.

Corey MacDonald is the founder of MacDonald Law, PC, and Black Lion Services, PLLC. MacDonald began his law practice in 2005 and is admitted to the bars of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Colorado, and the 1st Circuit Federal District Court. MacDonald Law is a New Hampshire based litigation practice focusing on all aspects of family law from divorce to post-divorce and parenting disputes. The firm also provides representation in select criminal defense matters at the state level. With over 27 years of law and law enforcement and prosecutorial experience, Attorney MacDonald has put together a team of professionals who are considered among the top in the state at representing their clients. MacDonald Law prides itself on taking on the hard cases receiving referrals from other attorneys in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. MacDonald Law often handles complex case litigation to include high net worth asset division, closely held business negotiations, parental alienation and domestic violence related matters. A wholly owned subsidiary of MacDonald Law, Black Lion Services, PLLC is a business law practice MacDonald started in 2020 providing outside general counsel services to businesses as well as individual clients. These clients include individuals and entities in sports and entertainment, as well as domestic and international supply chain operators in footwear and medical supply. MacDonald serves as outside general counsel to several companies to include USA Rugby, the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States as well as our Olympic rugby teams. Entertainment clients include serving as counsel and community coordinator for the Goonies House, LLC, from the famed 1985 classic movie. Prior to practicing law full-time, MacDonald ran his practice part-time while serving for over 18 years in law enforcement. He spent most of his law enforcement career as a detective rising to the position of Chief of Detectives for the City of Portsmouth and then Deputy Chief of Police. He also served as the City Prosecutor for three years trying hundreds of cases throughout the District Court. MacDonald was appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder's administration as the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Commander for the State of New Hampshire. MacDonald received an honorable early retirement as the Deputy Chief of Police to run his growing law practice on a full-time basis. Corey MacDonald was named one of NH's Top Forty Under 40 in 2011; as well as NH's Young Professional of the Year in 2014; and one of Seacoastonline.com's “Top 10 to Watch” young professionals. MacDonald serves on the New Hampshire Association for Justice Board of Directors and co-chairs the family law section. In addition he serves on various non-profit boards throughout the seacoast focusing on wilderness preservation, youth at risk and the arts.

Bill Van Horn has been serving the people of Colorado for decades. He was raised on a farm in Iowa, before coming to Colorado to enter the Air Force Academy as a young cadet at age 17. After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1974, he then flew as an electronic warfare officer on the B-52 nuclear bomber in Guam and the RC-135S Cobra Ball spy plane in Alaska. He was awarded the Airman’s Medal, the highest award given by the Air Force for peacetime heroism, for rescuing fellow flyers from their aircraft when it crashed and burned. He has flown missions that took him up close and personal to the borders of North Korea and the Soviet Empire. Bill returned to Colorado after years in active duty for the Air Force to earn a law degree from The University of Denver Law School, while he continued to serve our country by joining the Air Force Reserve, and flew for 20 years on the C-130 Lockheed Hercules with combat flying time in three United States conflicts. Bill graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a B.S. in International Affairs in 1974 and from the Air War College in 1998. After serving in the Air Force, Bill returned to the University of Denver and graduated in 1987 with a J.D. While in law school, Bill served as the Managing Editor of the Transportation Law Journal for 1986-1987. During Bill’s early law career he clerked for a Federal Judge, and was a former Senior Litigation Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. Bill moved into the area of family law and is recognized as a prominent and highly respected professional in his field. Bill and his wife Penni have five adult children, four daughters-in-love, and five grandchildren. Bill has attended a Tuesday Sunrise Bible Study for several decades, loves to hike with his lab, Coal, stay informed about community and national issues, and play with the “Grands.” Bill and Penni attend Red Rocks Church.

Austin Norden proudly serves Cedar Rapids, IA and the neighboring communities in the areas of criminal defense, divorce & family law, child custody, family law, and child support law.

The answer is almost always YES! Good cases are lost because people think things like: "I am in the right", "Everyone knows he did it", "I have witnesses". None of these things matter if you don't know how to get them in front of the Court, Judge, or Jury. Almost all Courts hold you to the same standard of knowledge of the laws and the rules as professional attorneys. This means that being right doesn't really matter.. This means even though everyone else knows he did it, you may not be able to tell the judge what everyone knows. And lastly, this means that even with witnesses you have to know how to have them properly found, noticed, served, subpoenaed, and professed to the opposing counsel in the proper time as required by law. It doesn't matter if it is criminal, civil, family, contract, whatever, the rules apply. Unless you are in a small claims or JP court, you need an attorney, Even then you have the advantage if you have an attorney. The old adage I use around my office when asked this question is "You can be the smartest, wisest, well known, good looking, and well read person in the world, but when going to Court without a lawyer you are the equivalent of the smartest, wisest, well known, good looking, and well read Roman slave or criminal in the ancient Coliseum where you are basically naked and unarmed and everyone else is either a wild animal or a well armored and well armed Gladiator." You have the same chances of survival in both situations. I hope this short article brought the point home. Good luck and God Bless. Bert Steinmann.

I am Jeff to those who know me, and for over the past sixteen years, my primary focus and areas of practice have been in the Child Welfare, Dependency & Neglected areas as well as Termination of Parental Rights/Adoptions. I have a small law office that is nothing short of a true family business. My Office Manager is Donna who also happens to be my wife and mother of our six children, four original now grown, and the two that she has re-nested our home with. We have seven grandchildren with the youngest currently in our legal custody and residing with us. She keeps things running smoothly in the office while I am out doing what I do best every day and that is to help children and families, spending most of my time in the courthouse, or at the Department of Children's Services (DCS) office in Child & Family Team Meetings (CFTMs), or on school or home visits, pre-COVID of course now spend a lot of time on conference calls or Zoom, whether for meetings or court appearances! I retired from the US Navy in 2000 after completing twenty years of service as an Aviation Electronics Technician First Class (Air Warfare Specialist) specializing in the calibration of test equipment. Giving Donna the option of relocating anywhere in the country from our home in Jacksonville, Florida she chose the hills of East Tennessee, where we have enjoyed living. After retiring at the age of 37 1/2 having earned my undergraduate degree while on active duty, I used my GI Bill benefits to attend Law School at the University of Georgia, beginning my law studies less than a month before the fateful September 11, 2001 attacks. I practice litigation primarily in Sevier County, although I have had cases in Blount, Jefferson, Cocke, Knox, Claiborne, Grainger, Hamblen, Greene, Washington, and Anderson counties. When it comes to adoptions I travel anywhere in the East Tennessee area since they usually only require one court appearance and are easier to schedule than a contested matter. There is no greater joy for us than assisting a child reach permanency through adoption with a forever family. Donna and I have been foster and adoptive parents since 2005 and that has given us the unique perspective in helping our clients navigate the complicated and oft-times confusing and ever-changing child welfare system. We truly understand the frustrations of this system first hand and personally and from every angle - short of being a DCS attorney. Even our two youngest children are part of the business and are often seen helping mom with filing papers and visiting their "friends" at the courthouse, or picking out the stuffed animal keepsake that Donna embroideries on for every child we do an adoption for. Their favorite part of our practice without a doubt is attending some of the adoptions we've been blessed to help finalize and seeing children like themselves become a permanent part of a forever home.

Attorney James S. Bettersworth was raised in Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas Lutheran University. He later went on to obtain his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s Law School in 1997, a feat he was able to accomplish in just two-and-a-half years. Upon graduating from St. Mary’s, he became license on June 4th, 1998. Since then, he has successfully represented clients in legal matters that pertain to a very wide range of laws. Some of these include, but are not limited to: Personal Injury Car Wrecks Truck Accidents Wrongful Death Nursing Home Abuse Premises Liability Defective Products Medical Malpractice In addition to being licensed to practice in the state of Texas, Mr. Bettersworth is also licensed to practice in the Federal Courts of the Western District of Texas. He also holds a license that allows him to practice in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, located in New Orleans and has had the distinct honor of arguing before a judicial panel for the court. Mr. Bettersworth is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum as well as the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, for his successes as a personal injury lawyer. He maintains a Superb rating on the Avvo legal directory. He is also a member of the Texas Bar Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. In May 2015, Mr. Bettersworth was elected as the New Braunfels Independent School District Board of Trustees. Mr. Bettersworth is well known throughout the legal community for his aggressive and straightforward approach. He relentlessly concentrates his efforts on achieving the best result for his clients in a timely manner. Mr. Bettersworth works with all types of clients to help resolve legal matters pertaining to work-related injuries, construction accidents, and other personal injury matters. To schedule a free consultation with Mr. Bettersworth, visit his website, or call 830-606-0404

Attorney Karen M. Buckley is passionate about using her professional strengths to help people resolve life's complicated issues. She assists her clients through some of the most difficult times of their lives, so she feels it's essential to inject genuine humanity into the process.

Mark Edward Godbey is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and owner of Godbey Law LLC. Our law firm is a full service, general practice firm, serving clients in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Our five attorneys have over 70 years of combined experience. While each attorney focuses on one or two specific areas of practice, our office as a whole can provide a variety of legal services to our clients. Since 1993, we have been representing and advising clients in the areas of auto accidents and other types of personal injury claims, divorce and other areas of family law, consumer bankruptcy and debt reorganization, criminal and traffic defense, estate planning and probate, immigration, and small business representation. We pride ourselves in providing high quality, cost effective legal representation to individuals and small businesses, while also giving the personal attention and service that each client deserves. Our mission is to advocate for our clients with excellence and integrity. We recognize that our clients rely upon our advice and expertise in the courtroom, but also deserve our attention and responsiveness. Our attorneys and staff are committed to the pursuit of excellence in the courtroom, to communicate effectively with our clients, and to demonstrate the strictest personal and professional ethics. We strive daily to establish relationships with our clients that will endure.

Kathryn C. Whitacre is a founding partner of Whitacre & Stefanczuk LTD in Oak Brook, IL. She practices in the areas of family law, real estate, and business law. Kathryn graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School with her Juris Doctorate degree in 2011. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Bowling Green State University. Kathryn is an experienced attorney who has successfully represented clients in court proceedings and transactions. To schedule your FREE consultation with the DuPage County Real Estate Attorney, visit online or call 773-622-6100.