Practice Areas
Family Law Cases
Ms. Garcia is committed to assisting her clients in resolving their
family law matters through constructive representation and counsel. She
is committed to the ethical and professional representation of all
clients and believes that contested cases can be resolved using all
legal resources available without compromising the client's dignity or,
when children are involved, overlooking the best interests of the
children.
Ms. Garcia's practice philosophy can be summed up by three words- Collaboration, Strategy and Preparation.
COLLABORATION-
Ms. Garcia works closely with her clients and does not delegate
important client contacts to a paralegal. She personally keeps her
clients informed of developments throughout the course of their cases
and returns calls in a timely manner.
STRATEGY - At the onset of
representation, Ms. Garcia develops a strategy with her clients. She
devises a strategy based on the particular issues as well as emotional
and economic considerations presented by a case. As a case progresses,
she reevaluates the strategic plan with her client to assure the
advancement of her client's needs and interests.
PREPARATION-
Ms. Garcia believes that preparation is key to advancing a client's
interest. She prepares her clients for constructive participation in
negotiation and mediation. For court hearings, she explains to her
clients the judge's perspective, the significance of evidence and
rehearses clients for court testimony.
Adoption Cases
Teresa Garcia is committed to handling all adoption cases with care and sensitivity. She understands that an adoption is a happy time but in some ways an anxious process for the adoptive family.
She works closely with her clients to obtain all the necessary information at the initial conference because each adoption requires different strategies and planning. Once retained Ms. Garcia manages the preparation of adoption pleadings and supporting documents in a timely manner, informing her clients of all developments in their case. She also assures clients that their case will not be closed until a new birth certificate is issued for the adopted child after the adoption is finalized.
Wills, Estate Planning and Guardianships
After a divorce or in anticipation of or after an adoption, Teresa Garcia strongly recommends that her clients consider the preparation of a Last Will and Testament to address the distribution of all assets and identification of heirs. In addition to the preparation of a Last Will and Testament designed to meet the specific desires of the client, Ms. Garcia will include the preparation of the Advance Directive for Health Care, the HIPAA authorization and a Power of Attorney.
In cases where the parent of a minor child has died, is in prison or unable to care for his/her child, Ms. Garcia will prepare Guardianship papers and file them with the appropriate Probate Court. The Guardianship papers are important because they allow the guardian of the child to make decisions regarding the welfare of the child, including education and medical care.