[The Nan Tiernan Law Firm, P.L.C.
Attorney and Counselor at Law
 
The Nan Tiernan Law Firm, P.L.C.
QUICK  CONTACT 
If you are facing a legal issue and need help, please contact us.  There is no fee or obligation for the first  email consultation or the first half hour phone consultation; call 515-277-7136 and leave a detailed message if we don't answer.  We will call you back as soon as we can. We check our phone messages every one or two days;  but we USUALLY check
email messages 5 times per day or more;  so if you are in a hurry to reach me, just email me at
nantiernan@yahoo.com  or click below and fill out the form.

Just CLICK HERE and Fill Out the Form that appears and your email message will instantly be sent to our firm.
CALL NOW: 
515-277-7136
                       
Nan Tiernan vigorously pursues your case, working for you and the best interests of your child, from your point of view.

The Nan Tiernan Law Firm has litigated hundreds of divorce and child custody cases across Iowa State for the past 14 years.
Nan Tiernan works in the Des Moines area and appears in court in the surrounding counties:
Polk, Warren, Dallas, Story, Madison, Boone, Marion, Jasper, and Clarke counties;  this includes Des Moines, West Des Moines, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston, Altoona, Ankeny, Boone, Ames, Knoxville, Winterset, Waukee, Adel, Newton, Osceola, and all the little towns between.

Our firm believes in a strong approach to child custody.  We will work with you and your support system to get you the resolution for your family law matter that will work for you down the years.  If your situation has changed, we may be able to modify your decree to get where you want to be. 

We will enforce your Decree if you need to do so.

If you are just starting a divorce or modification case,  or a father's rights paternity action,  you may achieve a mediated agreement that we turn into a Final Decree. This is what we call "the court order" which must be obeyed.  Or sometimes you will receive that Final Decree -- (the Court Order) --after a trial.  After we receive a court order concerning your matter, we will work with you to enforce the court order so the other party understands that court orders must be followed.

Get Advice on Family
Matters in Des Moines
 
Bringing children into the world, love of a mate, emotional heartbreak, arranging family finances -- all are very personal.  Our firm appreciates that your family matters are just that -- family matters --and that they are private.  Separation or Divorce can bring great emotional upset for both you and your children.  In your time of need you will be treated courteously and your input will be valued.

Nan works out of her home In order to better serve clients
24-7.  After a free phone consultation, in person meetings can be in your office, your home, or in the comfort of a restaurant during a meal.

If you are out of State wanting to pursue a case in Polk County, you may wish to receive documents by fax or email through your computer, and we can receive those types of communication from you.  If you are from out of state, our firm may be able to pursue your case up to the trial without your having to travel into Iowa at all.  You will need to be present for trial, however.

We have weekend and evening appointments available. Divorce, child custody, child support, and separation cases can be confusing. It is essential to us, as your family law firm, to be attentive to your needs and available to you.

Affordable options for litigating child custody within a divorce action or a modification of a dissolution decree,  sometimes as low as $1000;  but it can go as high as $15-$20 thousand dollars only if it is taken to the Iowa Supreme 
Court.  (Nan does not do this).   The fee for a child custody litigation usually ranges from 1500 to 5000.    

Because the firm has offices in the principal attorney's home, only 10 minutes away from the Polk County courthouse, there is not the office rental expense,or the travel expenses which would normally be passed on to the client.This allows us to offer you affordable legal services.  We meet with you in your home, your office, or the comfort of a restaurant during a meal. 

·Payment plans available
·Credit cards accepted through PayPal over the  internet with you paying the fee for using PayPal.
·Free Phone Consultation as to your situation

If the firm cannot take your case, we will refer you to other agencies or other attorneys who may take your case.  Family law advice should always be available and affordable for you when you need it.

Primary focus on Des Moines Family Law
 
Our main focus is to represent you in your family law case, whether it be adoption, child custody, divorce, visitation, child support,  a necessary guardianship or enforcement of a previous Decree.  However, because families sometimes have important financial issues, we also offer bankruptcy services and we create powers of attorney documents and simple wills.  Contact us to see how we can give you the legal help you need.

Call 1-515-277-7136 or email nantiernan@yahoo.com
for a Family Law Firm in Des Moines.
415 - 42nd Street, Des Moines, Iowa  50312
Phone:  515-277-7136    Fax:  866-929-5962
Email:  Click  Here
Disclaimers:

Information on this web site can not be construed as legal advice, and you are advised to seek legal counsel and not rely on this or any other website. Use of this web site does not create an attorney/client relationship and should not be viewed as creating such a relationship.

The determination of the need for legal services and the choice of a lawyer are extremely important decisions and should not be based solely upon advertisements or self-proclaimed expertise.

A description or indication of limitation of practice does not mean that any agency or board has certified such lawyer as a specialist or expert in an indicated field of law practice nor does it mean that such lawyer is necessarily any more expert or competent than any other lawyer. All potential clients are urged to make their own independent investigation and evaluation of any lawyer being considered.


  Here are answers to some questions about custody and visitation:

1.  Do I have to give visitation to the father (or mother) of my child?

         CLICK HERE FOR
         THE ANSWER


2.  If my husband or wife is a domestic abuser, does he still get any kind of custody of our children or visitation with them?

       CLICK HERE FOR 
          AN  ANSWER

3.   Can I get in trouble for not giving visitation to my ex?

     CLICK HERE FOR
       AN ANSWER


4.    What are the factors used by the court in deciding who gets custody of the children?

     CLICK HERE FOR
      AN ANSWER 


5.  How does one go about becoming a "Joint Physical Care" parent?


        CLICK HERE FOR
         AN ANSWER 




  

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[ When you are married and have a child, the world at large usually does not interfere with your business concerning that child.  Oh sure, you may have nosy controlling in-laws, but the GOVERNMENT for goodness sake is not dictating to you about your child.  When you get a divorce or if you have a baby outside of marriage, that is where  it gets sticky concerning the child.  And that is where you need a lawyer -- that is where the Court steps in....Now when we say "the court steps in" we don't mean it literally.  You could have an agreement with your ex concerning the child -- who parents the child at certain times, etc. --and then that agreement gets taken down to the courthouse (by you or your lawyer) and signed (ratified) by a judge.   That is the cheap way.  You just hire us to start the divorce and write up the agreement for $495.  From then on, that agreement becomes your operating agreement concerning the child;  and if one party doesn't follow it, then the other party can do something about it.  If you don't have an agreement with the ex, then you need to hire an attorney to get a court order, either by an agreement made during the court process or from a judge's ruling after a trial with Exhibits and Witness Testimony entered as evidence to help the court make its deision.

Usually both parents are awarded "joint legal custody" which means both have equal access to medical records and school records and no one can do anything legal concerning the child without the other parent agreeing (as in a name change).  In regard to "Physical Custody", one parent may get "primary physical custody" and the other parent may get "visitation".  (We dislike that word "visitation" -- We like the words "parenting time" better).  Occasionally, both parents may share physical custody of the child, with a parenting plan that usually has the parents each taking two days a week and alternating weekends of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The thing to remember is -- you as a parent must keep the child overnight to have it be considered by the court that you "have the custody of the child" on that day.  And this is important, because the kind of custody you have determines who pays child support and how much is paidthe child support paid.