Areas of Practice
Divorce and Divorcing Family
The process of divorce means a permanent change in your life. It is a restructuring of your family unit that takes careful consideration. No matter how you look at divorce, your life will never be the same.
For parents, divorce can bring about feelings of anger, shame, remorse, and fear. It is not only the parents who separate, but the children who also have to deal with the loss and confusion that divorce can bring about. It is imperative that divorcing or separating parents have a solid plan of action to allow as much of a normal life for the child as possible. Custody of a child is something that can bring about the worse in a person. The battle over custody can stretch out for years. If the parents can come to some agreement of joint custody then their children are the ones that benefit. We will always work with you to plan for the future of your child and avoid the battles that can often become complex.
Support /Enforcement
Connecticut uses the “best interest of the child” model to determine the support of a child. The actual support amount is generally based on guidelines which take into account each parents income and ability to make payments.
Wills & Probate/ Estate Planning
You plan for vacations. You plan for your first home. You plan for your retirement, but you should also plan for your final expenses. Writing a will is usually not at the top of anyone’s happy plans, but it is a necessary part of life. If you don’t decide what happens to your personal belongings then the state will and it will not likely be your wishes. Let us help you plan for the future that we all will face.
Criminal Law/ DUI
No matter how good a person is there is always a time when you could slip and find yourself facing the law. You should have someone with you who knows the system and can help you. If you want someone who will not judge you trust Evanko & Associates. We understand and we will be there when the going gets tough!
Negelct Petitions Do you know your rights when it comes to DCF and neglect petitions? E&A wants to help protect parents who are subject to DCF neglect petitions. DCF is the only agency with the power to come into a home and remove children without a court order. That power should be used carefully. When you are up against an agency like DCF with their resources, you should have someone fighting on your side. Let E&A help to reunify your family as soon as possible. (Working private cases in all courts except New Britain)
Guardian ad Litem
I am often asked what is a GAL? My job as a GAL is to act and make decisions that are in the "Best Interest" of the child or children I represent. It is the one person who does not have to be on either parents/grandparents sides. A GAL is usually appointed by the courts, but they can be paid by private funds of the parties involved or paid by the court at State rates. State rates means that the court foots the bill for the work of the GAL and is usually based on the parents ability to pay for the attorney's fees.
A GAL may not be removed from a case because they make a decision that one of the parents do not like. According to a recent decision a GAL has immunity from prosectution http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/22/22.F3d.149.93-1880.html
It is unusual to have the parents hire a GAL outside of court appointment, but it does happen.
Juvenile Delinquency
Did you know that a child's brain does not stop growing and forming until they are in their twenties? It is imperative that our juvenile system work to help children to correct behavior and set them on the path to being productive citizens.
Evanko & Associates will work with you if your child has a problem with Juvenile Justice System. Let us help put your child back on the road to sucess. We work on getting counseling and actions rather than just punishment.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html