Law Office – Alison Vawter Law

Representing a child who may or may not become a complete adult, a husband who is also a father, or a wife who is also a mother, is not a transaction of the marketplace. The family lawyer is held to a higher standard. His representation is a trusteeship. His mind is bent to fairness. He steadfastly advances the cause of his client while exercising care not to destroy the other participants. He works as a craftsman whose product governs fragile relationships for substantial periods of time. The lawyer’s own concerns have no place until the case is completed. A family is at stake, and, projected from there, so is society.

Welcome to the Law Office of Alison Vawter

No case is “just a case” to me. I take a personal interest in every client I represent; making that connection makes me a better lawyer for you and hopefully builds your confidence in me. I will be honest with you. If, during the consultation or the course of my representation of you, I come to believe the chances for achieving your goals are not high, I will tell you so. I will tell you if another lawyer would be a better fit for you. If, after our consultation, I offer to take your case, it’s because I believe you have a realistic prospect of success (never guaranteed). I am a full-service family lawyer, meaning that I handle dissolution (divorce), parenting responsibilities (parenting time and decision-making), child support and maintenance (alimony), and division of property and debt. I also handle guardianship and adoption cases, and do limited estate and other work, such as simple Wills and powers of attorney.

If you are considering retaining an attorney and seeking information about who we are and what we do, please feel free to look around the website. If you’d like to know more, or talk to me about your case, please call or e-mail for a consultation. We’ll then schedule an appointment for you to come in and tell me about your case. While the consultation is not free, my goal is to ensure that you’ll find it’s been helpful in answering all of your questions about the legal process and the family law issues you are facing. Please be advised that I do not give advice over the phone to persons who are not current clients, and I do not review any forms or documents you send me until you have executed a retainer agreement.

If you are an existing client, which means you and I have executed a retainer agreement, the form links below will allow you to download forms and review information that we will use during the course of your representation. Please download the forms and fill them out to the best of your ability. I am always available to answer questions about the forms. You should also review the information about the Parent Education Program and let me know if you have any questions.

Printable Forms for Clients Only:
Client Interview Form
Financial Affidavit
Parent Education Class
Non Custodial Parent Payment
Parenting Plan

Links for Family Law:
Turning a Breakup Into a Positive Experience
Is Divorce Bad for Children?
11 Books About Modern Families: Explaining Divorce, Adoption, and More
NYTimes.com: No Fault of Their Own
To my daughter’s stepmom…
8 Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Divorce
This Is Why I Didn’t Tell You He Was Beating Me
No, You’re Not In A Common-Law Marriage After 7 Years Together
Prenup Is a Four-Letter Word