FAQs About Our Law Firm

See below for some of the most common questions we are asked at Oestmann & Albertsen Law. If you need further information, request a call back via our online form.

How can I get started?

Call us today at 866-370-6358 to schedule your initial consultation with one of our experienced attorneys!

How do the payments work?

You will receive monthly statements that detail the legal services and the charges for those services. The statement also reflects the credit balance of your initial trust deposit. If you have questions about your statement, our office manager, Michelle Fenton, will answer any questions you may have!

How will I know the status of my case?

We will provide you with copies of all pleadings and correspondence that are prepared, sent, or received by our office. You should read all correspondence you receive and should keep the copies in a secure place for your future use and reference. Additionally, you are always welcome to call our offices to inquire as to the status of your pending matter!

What can I do to help my case along?

Tell us everything we need to know, answer all direct questions as accurately as possible, and as problems or questions arise, call our office!

How long will it take to resolve my case?

We are best able to estimate how long your lawsuit will take when we have a thorough understanding of the legal issue it concerns. The speed at which your case advances depends largely on four factors: (1) how many legal issues your case involves, and how complex they are; (2) whether the parties are interested in pursuing a settlement, or if they are hostile and unwilling to cooperate with one another; (3) the attitude of your spouse and their determination to defend their interests or compromise; and (4) how determined your spouse’s lawyer is to litigate or to draw out litigation..

How much will it cost?

It is difficult to make a realistic estimate of the total fee, even when we know what issues are contested, the intensity of the parties’ feelings and the complexity of the issues. Many things can affect the financial cost of litigation to include (but not limited to) the parties’ desire for full or partial discovery, the parties’ desire to argue over all issues and the parties’ desire to go to trial rather than settle. Going to trial is almost always more expensive than settling the lawsuit. Your lawsuit will also be time-consuming. While it is your attorney’s job to prepare your lawsuit, it is your job to provide us with the appropriate information to prepare your lawsuit.

Should I be concerned if my attorney is friendly with the other side’s attorney?

Simply put, no. Attorneys with years of experience in the same geographic location are likely to have had cases against each other in the past; they may also have participated in the same professional or committee events, or may share membership on particular legal committees or working groups. This continuous exposure can create a working relationship on which these attorneys rely to improve their practice and their local legal system outside of the courtroom. However, this working relationship does not detract from your attorney’s professional obligation to fight for the most favorable result for you: they are required to apply the facts and laws relevant to your case in a way that serves you, irrespective of their friendship or history with the opposing party’s attorney. Moreover, treating the other side’s attorneys as hostile adversaries can create additional animosity in your case that hinders, rather than facilitates, its successful resolution.

If the opposing attorney suggested it, is it a bad thing?

Not inherently. Even in contentious cases, it is possible to achieve compromises and solutions that resolve your case quickly and efficiently. Let your lawyer take the lead in evaluating suggestions and requests from the opposing attorneys, and in determining whether or not they have the potential to serve your best interests.

What can my attorney not do with regards to my case?

The following is a list of the things that your attorney cannot do:

1. Force the other parent to exercise their parenting time.
2. Force the other party to respond to a settlement proposal.
3. Control the tone of communication from opposing counsel or communications from the other party, friends, or the other party’s family members.
4. Ask the court to compensate you for every wrong done to you by the other party over the course of your marriage.
5. Remedy poor financial decisions made during the marriage.
6. Control how the other party parents your child(ren) during his / her parenting time.
7. Demand an accounting of how a parent uses court-ordered child support.
8. Contest custody and child support.
9. Guarantee payment of child support and alimony.
10. Collect child care and uninsured medical expenses if provisions of the court’s order or decree are not followed.