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Offices in Ventura & Westlake Village



Office Locations:
Westlake Village Office
3075 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Westlake Village, CA 91362
Ventura Office
1198 Navigator Drive #20
Ventura, CA 93001
Phone: 805-
Fax: 805-
At the Ventura County Law and Mediation Offices of Barton Pokras we provide personal attention in matters related to divorce, support, & custody. We serve clients in Westlake Villlage, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills, Moorpark, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Calabasas, Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, and Ojai. We represent families and individuals throughout Los Angeles County and Ventura County.
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The legal requirements for obtaining a California divorce or legal separation can
be satisfied by using any of several different processes. Depending upon your own
individual circumstances, some are more appropriate than others. At The Law and Mediation
Offices of Barton Pokras, we will explain the various options that are available
to you, and advise you as to which ones best fit your needs.
Mediation is a private, and confidential process that takes place outside of court. The parties are assisted by an impartial mediator to resolve any or all of the issues in their family law matter.
Barton Pokras can serve as a consulting attorney for parties that are having their divorce mediated by another mediator. He can attend the mediation sessions with you and participate in the mediation if so desired. Also, Attorney Pokras can help you strategize in preparation for the mediation negotiations, and help you prepare the necessary disclosure documents.
Collaborative Family Law, like divorce mediation, is a process to resolve family law disputes without going to court. Attorneys trained in the Collaborative Process represent both spouses, and an agreement is signed at the beginning of the case in which all agree to the Principles and Guidelines of the Collaborative Process.
Many couples are able to reach an agreement on all or most of the issues that present themselves. They may need help putting their agreement in writing or in knowing which documents need to be filed with the court, and when.
Our law office can provide unbundled legal services to assist you in any of the aspects that you need help with, and we have no minimum fee for providing this advice, which is billed on an hourly basis according to how much time you need. This could be as simple as reviewing an agreement that you have written up yourselves, advising you which documents are necessary to be filed, or answering any particular questions you may have.
Litigation is necessary when either of the spouses refuses to have their divorce process take place outside of court. This may be a wise decision if the other spouse is abusive, dishonest, has mental health or substance abuse issues, or the spouses are unable to communicate with each other so as to be able to negotiate and reach an agreement. In such cases the court will make decisions for the couple, and any minor children.
In the event that your spouse has hired an aggressive, “hold no bars, take no prisoners attorney”, our office can protect your interests and help to keep the costs of your divorce down by refusing to engage in the unnecessary, unreasonable and costly litigation tactics that are all too often employed by these types of divorce lawyers. Unfortunately these lawyers often convince their clients that nasty litigation is the most effective way to proceed. Needless to say, it is the most expensive, most destructive, and least effective means of proceeding.
We are available to meet at either of our offices, Ventura or Westlake Village. Meeting
with Attorney Pokras is the first step, and does not require a commitment to any
of the divorce means discussed above. Explore your options by discussing your situation
with an attorney with over 20 years of family law experience. Email our office or
call 805-