Family Law

Focused on helping you and your family

Whether you are anticipating an upcoming marriage, or navigating a separation or dissolution, Arlene Kostant will attempt to help you reach solutions to your family law problems.

Arlene Kostant has many years of experience serving families in the San Francisco Bay Area. She provides legal services in across a wide spectrum of areas, including:

• Pre- and postmarital agreements

• Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce)

• Spousal support

• Child custody and visitation

• Child support, including modification

• Separation agreements

Arlene typically works with clients as a mediator or as a consulting attorney in mediation, as a collaborative divorce attorney or as an attorney representing a client in a more traditional negotiation. Arlene does not handle cases that are in litigation.

Pre-and postmarital agreements

When couples marry in California, they are subject to legal rules that form a default prenuptial agreement. If they want to have something different, they will need to create their own premarital agreement. Parties often have assumptions about how their finances should be treated and how their assets should be held. Those assumptions, especially when they remain unspoken, can lead to significant and serious differences later on-money can easily symbolize different things to different people. Although many people believe that premarital agreements are all about protecting a wealthy fiance(e)’s assets-and that of course can be the case-premarital agreements can be very different from that. They can provide clarity, a way to discuss difficult topics and can be a form of healthy and constructive planning about financial issues during marriage and if the couple were to separate. Postmarital agreements may come up when clients feel a need for more financial clarity-sometimes in anticipation of separation, but sometimes without any separation in mind. Arlene works with clients in mediation (either as mediator or consulting attorney) and collaborative divorce to arrive at beneficial premarital or postmarital agreements.

Spousal support

Divorce is difficult, but it should not lead to a financial crisis. Arlene Kostant helps you establish fair and equitable spousal support.

Parenting: Child custody and visitation

Some parents going through a separation or dissolution find parenting agreements to be simple and easily reached. Others find this a much more challenging aspect of their separation. Arlene helps you benefit from a wide variety of resources now available to assist in making educated and child-centered decisions so you can raise your children in an appropriate and healthy home.

Child support

Both parents share the financial responsibility of raising a child. Arlene can help you arrive at the appropriate level of financial support required for your child or children.

Child support modification

Child support payments remain the same unless and until the court modifies the child support order. If either parent experiences a significant change in financial circumstances, Arlene can guide you through the proper legal procedures to modify your child support payments accordingly.

Dissolution (Divorce) and separation agreements

Whether you choose mediation, collaboration or negotiation, Arlene will work with you to arrive at a fair distribution of assets, disposition of the marital home, child support payments and parenting plans.

Experienced family law representation you can trust

For assistance with your family law matter, please call me at 415-433-2863 or contact me online to schedule an appointment.