lawyers

Personal Injury and Divorce Lawyers in Waterloo since 1951

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Dedicated workers’ compensation attorneys serving Cedar Rapids & Waverly, IA

Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. has proudly served the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area, including Waterloo and Waverly, since 1951. With more than 240 years of combined legal experience, we provide you with an advantage because we possess diverse skill in several areas of law, including family law, divorce law, personal injury and workers’ compensation. Our key focus is cultivating productive, personable relationships and partnering with you in solving your legal challenges.

Distinguished and relationship-driven lawyers with diverse legal experience

As compassionate professionals, we take a personal approach to our practice and diligently serve you as your advocates. We apply the fullness of our experience and proficiencies in our areas of practice to competently deliver the best results for your legal matter. We are best known for having:

  • Reputable and competent attorneys. There is a reason we have been around for more than half a century. Each of our Waterloo attorneys has established a reputation for competent professionalism and for achieving superb results for our clients.
  • Diversity in our law practice. Our attorneys are adept in family law, divorce law, personal injury and workers’ compensation law. We can assist you with various issues in your divorce, such as obtaining an equal division of assets and determining child custody and child support matters. We can also represent you in personal injury cases for automobile accidents, medical malpractice claims and workplace injuries.
  • A personable and compassionate approach. We take pride in knowing that our work makes our clients’ lives a little bit easier. Our aim is to develop a collaborative relationship with you in which we promptly address your concerns and resolve your legal issues.

Helping injured parties recover

If you have been injured, you need legal help to determine how to recover what you are financially owed by the liable party. We can assist you with claims for the following matters:

  • Accident-related injuries. Whether you were involved in an automobile accident caused by a negligent driver or a faulty part on your vehicle, we can help. Our lawyers can also assist you if you were injured in a slip and fall accident, because of a defective product, or as a result of someone else’s negligence.
  • Workers’ compensation. Injuries on the job can range from neck strain from sitting at your computer to serious physical harm caused at a construction site. We have years of experience handling workers’ compensation claims.
  • Medical malpractice. Medical malpractice can occur in surgeries, in the administration of drugs, and even in the birthing process. We are here to help when you have been injured by a medical professional’s negligence.

Here to answer your questions

We know legal matters can be complex and stressful. Questions we commonly get from clients are:

  • Do I have a case?
  • Is it worth it?
  • How much compensation can I receive?

Our attorneys review your individual circumstances and answer your questions. We help you understand all your legal options as we develop an effective strategy.

If legal costs are a problem, we can help you

As a personal injury law firm, we recognize that legal fees may present some difficulty for those who need the kind of quality legal representation that we provide. If you foresee difficulty affording attorney costs, we can address your concerns and work with you to resolve them.

Contact experienced lawyers for your divorce or personal injury matter

At Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C., we know that bringing resolution to your personal and work-related legal matters makes your life easier. We maintain three convenient locations. Partner with us to solve your legal challenges.

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Waterloo, Iowa Family Law Attorneys Fight for Fair Child and Spousal Support

by with No Comment Family Law

Enforcing Iowa child support and alimony rules

The experienced family law attorneys at Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. understand the turbulent undercurrents in child support and spousal support disputes. Whether you are being shortchanged or taken to the cleaners, we stand up for your right to be treated fairly throughout the process. We have provided sound legal advice to residents of Waverly, Waterloo and the surrounding areas for more than 60 years, and we can help you navigate the family court system so you can get on with your life.

How is child support calculated in Iowa?

Parents in Iowa have a legal obligation to support their children until they either graduate from high school or reach age 19. The amount of a parent’s child support obligation is determined by applying the uniform child support guidelines prescribed by the Iowa Supreme Court to the family’s theoretical combined income. The stated purpose of the guidelines is to provide for the best interests of the children by recognizing the duty of both parents to provide adequate support for their children in proportion to their respective incomes.

Exceptions include providing for a child beyond age 19 who is physically or mentally disabled. Likewise, a court may deviate from the guidelines if an adjustment is necessary to provide for the needs of the children and to do justice to both parties under the special circumstances of individual cases. A knowledgeable attorney at a divorce law firm can help you understand if adjustments to the guidelines apply in your case.

How much spousal support can I get, or do I have to pay?

Receiving alimony is not an automatic right like child support. The court looks at each case individually to see if alimony should be awarded. Either spouse can request spousal support when filing for divorce. The amount of spousal support and whether support is needed at all depend on several factors, such as availability of resources, duration of the marriage, age, health and earning ability. There is no definite formula or minimum or maximum amount that can be awarded for spousal support in Iowa. Rather, each case turns on its specific circumstances.

Can I change a support order?

A Waterloo divorce lawyer can help you ask the court to modify a support order if there is a substantial change of circumstances. When determining whether a substantial change of circumstances has occurred, the court considers various factors, such as:

  • Changes in the employment, earning capacity, income or resources of a party
  • Receipt of an inheritance, pension or other gift
  • Changes in the medical expenses of a party
  • Changes in the number or needs of dependents of a party
  • Changes in the physical, mental or emotional health of a party
  • Changes in the residence of a party
  • Remarriage of a party
  • Possible support of the party by another person
  • Changes in the physical, mental or educational needs of a child
  • Contempt by a party of existing orders

Get dependable advice from compassionate attorneys

Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. provides dynamic legal representation for spouses in divorce. Serving the Waterloo and Waverly area for more than 60 years, we deliver reliable results with personal care tailored to your needs.

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Waterloo and Waverly, IA Family Law Attorneys Discuss Division of Assets in Divorce

by with No Comment Family Law

Experienced divorce lawyers in Iowa tailoring solutions to protect your future

Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. takes the time to listen and understand your concerns when it comes to dividing assets in divorce. We provide compassionate legal representation at each stage of the proceedings, from the first time you meet with us, to discuss your needs. With offices in Waverly and Waterloo, our caring attorneys and staff help minimize the stress and anxiety of your divorce while delivering the best results possible in your case. We can be your legal problem-solvers.

Is my prenuptial or postnuptial agreement valid?

Prenuptial agreements are also known as premarital agreements. Iowa law says that a premarital agreement is not enforceable if the person against whom enforcement is sought proves any of the following:

  • The person did not execute the agreement voluntarily.
  • The agreement was unconscionable when it was executed.
  • Before the execution of the agreement, the person was not provided a fair and reasonable disclosure of the property or financial obligations of the other spouse; and the person did not have, or reasonably could not have had, an adequate knowledge of the property or financial obligations of the other spouse.

If a provision of the agreement or the application of the provision to a party is found by the court to be unenforceable, the provision is stricken from the remainder of the agreement and does not affect the remaining provisions.

Iowa courts also enforce postnuptial or postmarital agreements to the extent that they amount to valid contracts that do not contradict the law. A postnuptial agreement cannot alter a spouse’s right to seek an elective share of the marital estate if the other spouse dies.

Our experienced divorce lawyers at Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. review your premarital and postmarital agreements and advise you as to their validity and enforceability.

What are Iowa’s rules for dividing property in a divorce?

Iowa is an equitable distribution state. Equitable means fair, but not necessarily equal. Courts consider a number of factors to decide who should receive each asset in a divorce, including:

  • The length of the marriage
  • The property brought to the marriage by each party
  • The contribution of each party to the marriage, giving appropriate economic value to each party’s contribution in homemaking and childcare services
  • The age and physical and emotional health of the parties
  • The contribution of one party to the education, training or increased earning power of the other
  • The earning capacity of each party
  • The desirability of awarding the family home or the right to live in the family home for a reasonable period to the party having custody of the children, or if the parties have joint legal custody, to the party having physical care of the children
  • The amount and duration of an order granting support payments to either party and whether the property division should be in lieu of such payments
  • Other economic circumstances of each party, including any separate estate, pension benefits, vested or unvested, and future interests
  • The tax consequences to each party
  • Any written agreement made by the parties concerning property distribution
  • The provisions of an antenuptial or postmarital agreement, if any
  • Other factors the court may determine to be relevant in an individual case

Call our award-winning law firm for dependable advice

Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher, P.C. provides steadfast legal representation for divorce. Serving the Waterloo and Waverly area for more than 60 years, we deliver reliable results with personalized care tailored to your situation.