WELCOME

Experienced Family & Divorce Lawyers Serving
Contra Costa, Solano, Alameda & Napa Counties

OFFICES LOCATED IN WALNUT CREEK AND VACAVILLE, CA

Compassionate and Effective Legal Services

The Law Offices of Gary D. Sparks is a full-service family law, divorce, estate planning and soon-to-include probate law practice dedicated to helping our clients and their families resolve difficult and emotional legal matters during the most challenging times in their lives.

We understand how trying and stressful legal matters can be.  Divorce and family law cases, in particular, are emotionally draining and financially straining.  This is especially true in those cases where overzealous lawyers intentionally create unnecessary conflict and animosity by posturing and being confrontational rather than focusing on what is best for their clients.

We will, of course, litigate very aggressively to protect our clients' rights and  interests when necessary.  However, the better solution in most cases is to strive towards a negotiated settlement and keep the case out of court completely whenever possible.  Going to court on the "principal" of the matter may satisfy a client's moral compass, but rarely satisfies the pocketbook.

Sometimes neither party is happy with the final settlement, but the alternatives -- lengthy, extended and stressful court battles, discovery, depositions and trial -- can be much, much worse.  We do our best to set reasonable expectations and help our clients understand the range of possible outcomes so they can make intelligent and informed decisions about how to proceed.

Do I Really Need a Lawyer? Can't I Just Use a Self-Help Book?

Not every client requires a full-service attorney to represent him or her in a divorce or family law matter.  When a marriage is short, with little or no property and debt, and no children (or more accurately, no disagreement regarding children), perhaps a self-help book or an advisory attorney offering only limited guidance and direction is all that is necessary to help settle the case amicably. 

On the other hand, divorce law in California -- particularly custody, child support, spousal support (alimony) and community property division -- has become extremely complex, convoluted and highly specialized, often requiring an experienced and proficient family lawyer to represent clients when there are multiple contentious or difficult legal issues and little middle ground with which to work.  Having a lawyer on your side to stand up for you and fight for your rights can greatly affect the outcome of your case, and help you get the results you deserve.

But Lawyers Are Too Expensive.

Concerned about your legal fees? You should be. The truth is that working with an attorney can sometimes be expensive. At the same time, there are options available to you to help you manage your attorney fees.  We work hard to help every client understand the range of his or her legal options, including the pros and cons of each option.

We offer full-service representation, and for those clients who cannot afford full representation, we also offer limited scope and unbundled services so that they can still have the assistance of counsel.  And our new "hourglass" program provides clients with a set number of hours of legal guidance each month (in 2-, 4- and 8-hour blocks) for a flat rate.  From in-court representation to ghost-writing declarations and pleadings, we strive to find a feasible solution for every client's needs.  We can even sometimes offer fixed-fee billing arrangements to help clients maintain control of their attorney fees.  Our goal is to find a way to help each client work towards his or her desired outcome.

And keep in mind, clients can help control their own legal fees by how they conduct themselves during the case.  A client who is cooperative and focused on reasonable settlement rather than on "winning" at all costs is generally also the client whose attorney bills are reasonable and affordable.

Personalized Solutions. Trusted Advocacy. Affordable Options.

We specialize in all aspects of California family law, including divorce, legal separation, annulment, paternity, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support (alimony), domestic violence, community property and debt division, prenuptial agreements, marital agreements and post-divorce modifications.

We also provide estate planning instruments such as wills, codicils, living and special trusts, durable powers of attorney and California advance health care directives, and will soon offer probate services including estate administration, spousal property petitions, claims litigation and will contests.

At The Law Offices of Gary D. Sparks, you have the advantage of working with  experienced California attorneys who bring a fresh perspective to the practice of family, estate and probate law by working hard to resolve your legal conflicts and not by creating more of it.  In addition to legal representation, we offer a broad range of other services, including legal counseling and mediation, tailored to your specific needs and budget.

Call (925) 465-2500 or (707) 398-6008 Today for a Consultation.

We understand that you have many options when it comes to selecting the legal services you need. Please read the information on our website to learn more about our practice and how we can help you. Be sure to visit our blog at www.CaliforniaDivorceLawyerBlog.com and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sparksfamilylaw.

We serve clients throughout Contra Costa, Solano, Napa and Alameda counties in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and western Sacramento Valley. We do occasionally travel outside of those counties when the need arises, and have made appearances in Yolo, Sacramento, San Mateo, Sonoma, San Francisco and Marin counties.

Call (925) 465-2500 or (707) 398-6008 today for more information and to schedule your confidential initial consultation.