Divorce

Ms. Keela Johnson is an equity shareholder in our Family Law group. Ms. Johnson concentrates her practice in all areas of domestic relations and matters that impact the family, including high asset divorce and custody litigation. She serves as a court appointed guardian ad litem and parenting time coordinator in complex parenting time and custody matters, often in the middle of a contentious divorce. Ms. Johnson collaborates with her partners at Giarmarco, Mullins and Horton to identify and protect assets by using a team approach in the representation of clients. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Johnson was a mental health therapist for more than seven years. This experience allows her to bring a different perspective to emotionally charged and high conflict cases. Ms. Johnson cares about her clients and their concerns about the legal process. She understands that divorce is a time of transition and strives to help her clients understand the legal process and develop a plan, not just to see their case from beginning to end but post-judgment as well. She is highly respected by her professional colleagues as well as by judges. Ms. Johnson is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, Family Law Section where she was elected to serve multiple terms on the Family Law council and appointed as chair of the Guardian ad Litem sub-committee. Ms. Johnson is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a prestigious and highly selective group of lawyers considered experts in family law. She serves on the Michigan AAML annual seminar committee. Ms. Johnson is active in the Oakland County Bar Association, where she served as Chair of the Family Court Committee and served as a Barrister for the American Inns of Court, Oakland County Chapter. She is a Life Fellow of the Oakland County Bar Foundation. Ms. Johnson is a member of American Bar Association; the Macomb County Bar Association; the Genesee County Bar Association; the Wayne County Family Bar; Women Lawyers Association of Michigan; and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. Ms. Johnson also serves as a trustee for the Michigan Inter-Professional Association on Marriage, Divorce, and the Family. Ms. Johnson graduated, summa cum laude, from Upper Iowa University. She received her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, in guidance and counseling. She earned her law degree from Western Michigan Cooley Law School where she graduated cum laude.

Divorce is a difficult, stressful, and life-changing experience. You need a legal team that can help you wade through the complexities of resolving your family law case. The attorneys at the Fagan Law Firm can help you reach agreements with your spouse, obtain orders from the court for division of your community property, confirm and safeguard your separate property, arrange custody and visitation schedules, help determine the amount of child or spousal support, obtain protective orders or injunctive relief if necessary. Call us today for a consultation to begin process of this complex life transition. Our attorneys are experienced in representing high income and net worth individuals as well as small business owners going through divorce. Family law issues relating to jobs, salary, and career play a significant role in divorce court. The most significant issues in divorce cases involve the dibision of property and issues related to child support and coustody. We assist our clients with resolving these issues fairly and efficiently. We guide our clients through a process where we help identify areas of agreement and then advance to negotiate matters in dispute.

Linda N. Risinger is a knowledgeable divorce and family law attorney with more than 35 years of legal experience. In 1989, she established her private practice, The Law Office of Linda Risinger. Located in Frisco, Texas, Linda and her team serve clients throughout North Texas. Born, raised, and educated in Texas, it is important to Linda to serve members of her local community. To schedule a free consultation with Attorney Risinger, visit her website or call 972-294-6533.

Attorney Melissa Needle is a lifetime Connecticut resident. She was born in New Haven, raised in Fairfield, and now resides in Westport with her family. Attorney Needle is a third generation attorney with deep family roots in Connecticut. Her father, Attorney Charles Needle, was a founder of the Connecticut firm Zeldes, Needle & Cooper in 1971. Since her admission to the Connecticut Bar in 1990, Melissa has exclusively practiced divorce and family law. Melissa started Needle | Cuda: Divorce and Family Law in 2010. The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys named Needle | Cuda a Connecticut Top 10 Best Firm in Client Satisfaction in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Attorney Needle is an active litigator with an impressive track record. Many of the cases in which Melissa appears involve high net worth divorce property division, complex business valuations, highly contested custody, and petitions for child relocation. She is well-known in Connecticut courts as a forceful, but fair fighter; an attorney with great integrity; and as a worthy adversary who does not shy away from litigation if that path is the best opportunity for her client to reach an equitable solution. Melissa understands that divorce is not just about the dissolution of marriage or stop-gap solutions but helping clients develop and negotiate a comprehensive plan for the rest of their lives.

With over 27 years of expertise in family law and a Board Certification under her belt, Dessiray is equipped to assist men, women, grandparents and other individuals with their individual family legal matters. As an avid learner in the field of family law, Dessiray remains up-to-date by consistently attending seminars and conferences for relevant information that she can use to provide the most effective assistance possible. Her areas of practice include divorces, child custody disputes, enforcements as well as adoptions - all within the scope of family law. Not only does Dessiray represent children in court cases as an amicus attorney, but she also genuinely loves interacting with her clients and provides them with her personal cell phone number to ensure that they can always connect with her when needed. Though there's no way to guarantee a particular outcome for any case, at the very least you can be certain that each issue taken on by Dessiray and her firm will receive 100% of their effort and dedication. To schedule your free consultation with the Houston Family Law Attorney, visit online or call 713-650-1866.

Kimberly Player Washington is a family law attorney who joined the firm in 2015. After beginning her legal career in the areas of family law and general civil representation, Kimberly worked as a legal consultant for Hewlett-Packard. She changed her practice focus when she realized that what she valued most about legal work was the ability to help people in their times of need. Today, she draws upon her extensive legal background to assist clients with a broad range of family-related legal matters. She is particularly passionate about helping parents protect their relationships with their children and make important decisions with their children’s long-term best interests in mind. A significant portion of Kimberly’s practice is devoted to representing clients in divorces and related matters. This includes representing clients at all stages of the divorce process, from pre-divorce planning through informal settlement negotiations, court-ordered mediation, and, when necessary, litigation in court. Kimberly also represents clients in post-divorce enforcement matters (such as enforcement of parents’ rights to visitation and child support), and she has helped many clients overcome challenging issues related to property distribution, financial support and parental rights. Kimberly represents clients outside of the divorce context as well. She has helped protect mothers’ and fathers’ rights in adoption and conservatorship proceedings, and she has handled numerous cases involving the custody rights of unmarried parents. She also represents parents and other family members regarding a broad range of other family-related legal issues. Whether Kimberly is drafting a prenuptial agreement, helping to establish paternity or simply helping a client better understand his or her circumstances, she takes the same personal, compassionate and strategic approach regardless of the specific issues involved.

My focus is family law, and my approach is focused on helping clients navigate the complex and emotional experience of family law issues including divorce, determining parenting time, child custody and support, dividing property, and deciding alimony. My goal is always the best possible outcome given my client’s objectives. I also seek to minimize the negative emotional and economic impact of the divorce process on children within the family system. (Studies have shown that children in high conflict divorces do not do as well later in life, as the children in low conflict divorces.) While I am a fierce advocate for my clients, I never deliberately fan the flames of conflict and anger that may hinder the process of resolving the case or that eventually have a harmful effect on the children. I guide my clients through every step of the divorce process, from filing the initial petition, preparing for and attending mediation, participating in settlement conferences, and if necessary, preparing and appearing for trial. While most of my cases settle out of court, I have the experience to manage your case through a full-blown divorce trial. My trial experience in divorce, includes the establishment of child custody and parenting time, child support, spousal maintenance/alimony, and the division of marital property. I have also litigated modification of child custody and parenting time for marital and non-marital children, modification of child support, enforcement of orders for spousal maintenance and child support, third party and grandparent custody and visitation, orders for protection, and harassment restraining orders. Prior to becoming an attorney, I owned a small business, and I draw on that experience to negotiate fair and equitable property settlements, parenting plans, and even prenuptial agreements that help protect the rights and assets of soon to become newlyweds.

Diana has been a mediator for twelve years, since 2012. She has helped hundreds of couples resolve their divorce and custody conflicts through mediation, without the extra cost, delay, and emotional trauma of litigation. Diana is also an attorney and has represented people in family law cases, including divorce, custody, and paternity matters, for 30 years. She is intimately familiar with the law, courtroom procedure, judges and litigation. Diana is also skilled at diplomatic negotiation, and has resolved countless cases over the past 30 years as an attorney, through mediation. She was a founding partner of "Huntsman, Lofgran, Walton, PLLC, where she has led her firm in practicing law since 2005. She is presently of counsel with HLW, having retired from litigation in March, 2024. Whether helping a couple as a mediator, or representing a person as an attorney, Diana enjoys helping others find hope and resolution in difficult times -- divorce being one of the hardest things a person may face. That being said, if a couple is willing to try, Diana is passionately committed to the concept of mediation, as opposed to litigation and court rooms, as a far more positive, less costly, faster option of resolving conflict.

Marissa’s main areas of concentration are family law matters such as Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Paternity, Visitation and Adoption. Marissa is also a court approved family Mediator and Guardian ad Litem in Kane and Dekalb County. In addition, Marissa is one of the few Kane County foreclosure mediators for the sixteenth judicial circuit. Marissa is an active member of the Kane County Bar Association, DeKalb County Bar Association, Du Page County Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association. In addition, Marissa is a member of the Kane County Family Law Committee.

My primary focus is providing you with professional analysis with practical advice. Willing to listen and make sure your voice is heard and your interests are protected.​ I return calls and emails promptly; I make myself available. I stand by the advice I give and make sure you understand the process. I have the experience that counts. I concentrate my practice in the area of family law, including dissolution of marriage (divorce); allocation of parenting responsibilities (child custody and visitation); paternity matters; child support; maintenance; and property allocation. Outside of family law, my educational background is in finance. I'm experienced in the difficult financial and property issues that may arise in a divorce. Schedule your first meeting today to experience how all legal services should be. Making the decision to call an attorney is not easy. Most likely the idea of getting divorced or going to court for a legal issue is stressful. It is important to me to help people navigate through this tough period in their life. The legal system can be confusing and harsh; I am here to advocate for my client, make sure they understand what is going to happen and why, and let them make informed decisions. My goal is always to leave you with the best result possible.