Child Custody

Evan Barat is an experienced family law attorney who represents clients in various family law matters, including divorce, custody modifications, child support modifications, adoptions, and Child Protective Services (CPS) removal cases. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Texas Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Evan is known for her personalized approach, straightforward counsel, and dedicated advocacy. Evan graduated with honors from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law. She has dedicated her legal career to serving clients in East Texas, building her reputation through consistent and committed legal representation. An active member of the Texas legal community, Evan is involved with the Texas Bar Foundation, the State Bar of Texas, the Smith County Bar Association, and several sections dedicated to family law. She resides in Tyler, Texas, with her husband and children and is actively involved in her community through St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Cynthia has more than 23 years of experience as a family law attorney. She founded the law firm of Cynthia J. Bohn Attorney at Law at the beginning of her career and since has become one of the most respected lawyers in Nashville, Tennessee. She is proud to announce that 70% of her practice is devoted to litigation.

Carol Baskin started practicing family law because she wanted to protect the relationships of families in Georgia. Baskin & Baskin, LLC was founded in 1976 by Carol and her late husband Harris with the vision of premiere legal services backed by exceptional client support. With 100% of her practice devoted to protecting marital and children’s interest, Carol is always ready to fight in court on behalf of her clients if necessary. Carol was the first female attorney outside of Cobb County to start practicing law within Cobb County in the 70’s. She brings over 38 years of law experience to Marietta, specializing in divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, property division, paternity, domestic violence, modifications, and appeals. Carol is a certified registered neutral in General Mediation, Arbitration and Domestic Relations Mediation.

Jazmyn Wood is a practicing lawyer in the state of Kentucky handling family law matters.

Cheryl Fisher graduated summa cum laude from Saint Mary's College in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. In 1997, she graduated in the top third of her class in a dual degree program at Washington University School of Law and School of Social Work with her law degree and a Masters in Social Work. Cheryl has been a certified mediator since 1994 and has advanced training in the mediation of family and divorce conflicts. She practices in Illinois and Missouri focusing on family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, guardianship, adoption and mediation of conflicts in these areas. She also focuses on Orders of Protection.

Mr. Castro is an attorney who prides himself on advocating aggressively on behalf of all clients. Having been recognized as a top tier attorney by Super Lawyers (Rising Star, 2019-2020) and Lawyers of Distinction, Mr. Castro started his own practice to represent members of communities with poor access to critical services. To that end, it is Mr. Castro's chief goal to effect change for his clients in the areas of business litigation, personal injury, family law, and trust and estates law. In those personal injury cases, he has extensive experience in matters involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, auto accidents, pedestrian/bicycle accidents, dog bites, dangerous property condition, premises liability, slip and fall, trip and fall, insurance bad faith, government tort claims, construction site accidents, on the water injuries, and defective products/products liability claims. In matters of business litigation, Mr. Castro has experience with matters involving breach of contract, tortious interference with contracts or business relationships, business partner disputes, real estate disputes (including both residential or commercial real estate), business entity formation, contract review, breach of fiduciary duty, and other matters arising from the day-to-day operations of running a business. As for matters involving family law, Mr. Castro handles matters requiring financial and property division concerns, child custody disputes, child support, modifications of family law orders, enforcement of family law orders, and document preparation/review. Mr. Castro also helps his clients plan for the efficient and effective transfer of assets to spouses, to younger generation family members, to other persons clients wish to benefit, and to charities. Mr. Castro's trust and estate practice involves the preparation of trust agreements, wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, and closely held business structures, including partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. Mr. Castro graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law in 2013 and he is admitted to practice before all the courts in the State of California including the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Central Districts of the United States District Courts of California. Mr. Castro firmly believes the key to securing a favorable result for all his clients is by exercising the highest degree of diligence and perseverance. Mr. Castro takes each case personally and always strives to obtain the best possible results for each client. During his spare time, Mr. Castro enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, wine tasting, and volunteering in any activity that benefits children. He served as a Guardian Ad Litem for the Florida Guardian Ad Litem Program in Jacksonville, Florida. He also coaches youth sports and most recently coached his son's baseball team in Rocklin Little League.

Shazia Sparkman is the founder and managing partner where she advocates fiercely and passionately for her clients in all types of family law and complex business litigation matters. Armed with a razor sharp grasp of the law, Ms. Sparkman brings her smart sophistication in analyzing every case for each client. Clients have come to expect a tailored and customized approach to each legal situation. It is this personalized approach that was the vision of Ms. Sparkman and that has rooted the firm into the Tampa Bay community as one recognized for excellent service. Ms. Sparkman is a native of Tampa, born and raised and grew up with a passion for the law and service. She has cultivated her talent for lawyering in the most effective and artful manner where her persuasion skills and legal expertise merge together in the courtroom. She is a perfectionist at heart who drives herself to accomplish tasks that others would run from. Her memory and ability to multi-task is difficult to comprehend or describe but clearly reveals how she is able to remember every conversation she has ever had and every client story told. Ms. Sparkman’s community involvement is an extension of her dedication to her clients. She is a member of the Junior League of Tampa and her passion for giving back to the community is exemplified in the volunteer service work she provides in addition to the law firm’s support of various community events that are dear to heart, such as the Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay and the Easter Seals organization, both organizations that highlight giving to empower and strengthen children. As a mother of three children, Ms. Sparkman is fueled by this role as a mother, lawyer and volunteer with her focus being to make her community a place where she can be proud to raise her children.

From his Orlando, Florida, law firm, Matthew L. Cersine represents clients in the Orlando community in family law, divorce and child custody cases. While he is a capable litigator, he is also a skilled mediator, having conducted the Supreme Court of Florida's mediation training for three years as well as having served as a mediator for Orange County's Dispute Resolution Center from 2005 to 2007. In addition to handling family law cases, Mr. Cersine handles cases involving international law, business law, foreclosure, debt collection, landlord-tenant disputes, probate matters and real estate. He prides himself on giving personal attention to his clients. He is admitted to practice in Florida as well as in the U.S. Tax Court. As an attorney with a track record of achieving effective resolutions in a variety of cases, Mr. Cersine is recognized for his knowledge in the legal field and his background in mediation matters. He also taught classes from 2006 to 2010 on foreign business practices for EXIM Bancorporation, a company that focuses on business development. He has represented clients and corporations both large and small in a number of industries, including companies such as Luxury Vienna, Global Beratung and Megatrend University USA. Mr. Cersine is also involved in related, although separate, businesses as an independent mediator and a consultant, and he was an adjunct professor for three years at Barry University School of Law. Mr. Cersine gives back to the community through his pro bono involvement as an Orange County mediator, offering free mediation for citizen disagreements and family law matters and encouraging a fair resolution without a trial. Additionally, he is a member of the American Association for Justice and the American Bar Association.

Orlando Attorney Gwen J. Cryer has been representing clients throughout the Central Florida area since 2003. Attorney Cryer is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, the Orange County Bar Association, and the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Licensed by both Florida State and Federal Courts, Attorney Cryer’s practice areas include marital and family law, and criminal defense.

The attorneys of Maynard Law Associates, PLLC are skilled at walking our clients through each step of the complicated legal process. If you are confronted with criminal charges, or even being investigated, the time to have an attorney is NOW. We have 14 years experience handling criminal matters, from misdemeanors to federal felony charges, and everything inbetween. When you are faced with criminal charges, you need agressive representation to protect your rights. We will fight for you to protect your rights and your record. Call us today! If you are contemplating divorce proceedings, already facing a divorce action, fighting for custody or battling child and/or spousal support issues, you need a skilled legal team to fight for you and advise you. Our team has the right experience and we stand ready to help you and your family. Call us today!