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Child custody Attorney

-Jackson Hole & Teton County-

let us protect what matters most

Custody and visitation are some of the most stressful parts of any relationship. Even when both parents want what’s best, emotions run high. And when things aren’t going well, the stakes feel even higher.

A child custody attorney helps take the pressure off. We focus on the legal side so you can focus on your child. That means writing clear, enforceable agreements and spotting problems before they start.

We make sure your plan works not just for today, but long-term. Whether you’re in full agreement or not speaking at all, contact us today to protect what matters most.

Find Out How We Operate

We specialize in high-net-worth divorces involving trusts, business entities, and international holdings. We also fight fiercely for parents whose children face danger or who've been wrongfully denied access.

We approach every case with surgical precision. The best way for you understand this is for us to show you. Here's a collection of of cases that we're proud of with names and specifics changed to protect privacy.  If there's something going on, we'll find it.

How We Protect at risk children in emergency situations

Fresh out of law school, I'll never forget the call that came in just after Thanksgiving. Olivia was shaking as she told me what had happened.

She and Benjamin had four children together but were never married. After years of trying to make their relationship work for the kids' sake, Olivia had finally ended things when Benjamin's struggles with bipolar disorder and alcoholism led to a rehab stay. A year later, Benjamin had graduated from his program and they'd established a simple visitation schedule.

Then came that Friday night in November. Benjamin had taken their two oldest children to a college basketball game an hour away. Olivia noticed a crushed water bottle in his car's cupholder when he picked them, but didn’t think anything of it.

At 10:30 p.m., Olivia’s son called her in tears. Benjamin had been drinking vodka from water bottles during the game. He was drunk but drove anyway. After a fight in the car, he'd kicked both children out on the side of the highway and driven away, leaving them stranded in the dark.

That Saturday morning,  Benjamin called Olivia to apologize, full of shame and promising to change.
Olivia was in my office that Monday. We immediately secured an emergency custody order and restraining order. Benjamin voluntarily entered inpatient treatment in Arizona, agreeing not to see the children until he completed the program under supervision.

As of today, Benjamin is sober but must prove his continued sobriety through daily breathalyzer tests during his parenting time. Part of the reason I share this story, so people feel comfortable reaching out to attorneys when something like that happens..

If Olivia had allowed Benjamin to convince her it would never happen again, or that he’d get help on his own terms, there’s no telling what could’ve happened. Also, when reviewing custody determinations in situations such as this, a judge will look at what Olivia did to protect the children almost as much as what Alex did to harm the children.

How we Uncover Hidden Assets in a High-Net-Worth Divorce

Bruce sat in my office. He was fifty eight years old and his marriage was coming apart. He had married Maggie in his 20s, not knowing the extent of her family’s assets or the lifestyle she expected him to provide.

He worked hard to provide. Over their 20-something years of marriage, he went from carpenter to general contractor. He hired a crew, built custom homes, and made good money. Yet they spent every penny: private schools, vacations, ski clubs, and summer camps. He never put a dime in a retirement account.

Whenever there was a bill he couldn’t pay, Maggie found the money. A check from the family trust came through. He didn’t think much of it. But now he was in my office and we were six months into his divorce and everything was taking twice as long as we expected.

We were having a helluva of a fight getting the trust documents. And it mattered. Depending on what the documents said, and how Maggie was using the money from the trust, Bruce may be entitled to a payment. After all, he had spent every cent he made on the family for more than twenty years.

The specific legal issue was whether the trust was divisible. To determine this, we had to explore the extent to which the trust account funded the parties’ marital expenses. We needed to know how the trust account was funded, how much the trust had paid into the parties’ personal and joint financial accounts throughout the marriage, and whether any marital assets/personal property items were purchased directly with trust funds.

The trust documents and financial statements showed up. The Friday afternoon document dump, an old tradition. Lawyers,  just like politicians, announce bad news on a Friday, hoping the significance would be lost to a good weekend.

Since mediation was the following Wednesday, I spent the Saturday in my happy place, amidst bankers’ boxes of financial statements.

Turns out there were more bank accounts than LLCs. And some LLCs owned other LLCs. After a search of the Secretary of State’s website, and a few calls on Monday morning, the truth came out. The small trust was actually much larger than Bruce ever knew. Maggie didn’t just own a share of single LLC with one apartment building. She owned shares in a holding company, which owned dozens of LLCs, each owning an apartment building. She was heir to a property empire across the South East.

Needless to say, mediation went very differently.  Within 60 days, Bruce received a “life-changing” amount of money.

From a legal ethics point of view, the case always struck me as odd. I don’t practice in kangaroo courts. My general experience is that opposing counsel tells the truth and does the right thing. I actually like this opposing counsel and we have a good relationship. Reading the tea leaves, my theory is that Maggie’s family members, who were trustees, kept her and her divorce attorney in the dark about important aspects of the trust. And that’s why we have subpoenas.

We discovered a secret bank account that changed everything

Alicia and Gabriel were fun. She was one half of a high-energy French couple, international entrepreneurs who crossed borders with aplomb, leaving a trail of business entities and bank accounts.

It turns out Gabriel’s zest for life and charisma was paired with a tendency to lie. So Alicia was divorcing him. I represented her and it was time to untangle the knot of entities and accounts that supported their jet setting lifestyle.

We were on day three of mediation. I had mapped out another crazy schedule of assets and liabilities.

There six total businesses, three in France, one in Argentina, and two in the United States. Let’s call them businesses, A-F. Of course, the couple was using business A to pay the expenses of business B, while borrowing from business C to repay business A. Each business had different operating agreements (drafted in French, Spanish and English). The operating agreements contained different clauses on related transactions that the couple treated as suggestions. Because of the (extremely) convoluted series of international transfers, some of which violated the companies’ own operating agreements,  the most efficient thing was to simply count assets, liabilities, and stipulate to a number.

On the afternoon of day three of the mediation, we got it done. It felt fair. The court signed the stipulated decree and the property was divided. I was proud of my spreadsheets  and I closed the file.

Two months later, I got the call. Alicia discovered Gabriel had opened a seventh entity in the middle of the divorce and and had diverted assets into the seventh business. He had committed fraud and violated all kinds of laws and court orders.

No one wanted this fight. But I am not one to let my client be taken advantage of. I set myself to the task and petitioned to re-open the divorce and void the property division. The end result was more money for my client, with Gabriel paying my attorney’s fees.

What Our Clients Have to Say

I Absolutely 100 Percent Recommend Freeburg Law.
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I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.

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David A.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
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I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.

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Erica B.
They Do An Outstanding Job For Their Clients.
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I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.

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Todd b.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
Rating

Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.

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Joseph p.
I Absolutely 100 Percent Recommend Freeburg Law.
Rating

I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.

Google Logo
David A.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
Rating

I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.

Google Logo
Erica B.
They Do An Outstanding Job For Their Clients.
Rating

I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.

Google Logo
Todd b.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
Rating

Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.

Google Logo
Joseph p.
I Absolutely 100 Percent Recommend Freeburg Law.
Rating

I absolutely 100 percent recommend Freeburg law and my personal lawyer Ethan Morris. Being from another state once they were on the case they did everything to make me feel the ease of the burden of the charge I received. I don’t know how I would have handled it without their help from 500 miles away. The sentencing I received was minimal and I was happy with the entire process. Ethan made me feel as if I just made a small mistake on my part and he would handle everything for me within his power. They were well worth every dollar. Strongly recommend as a DUI attorney.

Google Logo
David A.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
Rating

I hired this firm due to the positive reviews. Ethan did not let me down. He fought for me and my case was dismissed. The team at Freeburg Law will LISTEN to you. They will believe you and do the very best for you. Someone will answer the phone even on a Sunday morning. They will reply to every email, and answer every question no matter what. They will have your back.

Google Logo
Erica B.
They Do An Outstanding Job For Their Clients.
Rating

I've worked on many civil and criminal cases with Freeburg Law over the years, some going to trial, many settling out of court. They do an outstanding job for their clients. They put in the time and resources needed to present the best possible case. Most importantly, they care. Easy to work with, top-notch trial lawyers. I'd highly recommend them for any civil or criminal case.

Google Logo
Todd b.
The team at Freeburg Law Will Listen To You.
Rating

Alex Freeburg is an excellent attorney and Teton County is lucky to have him. Throughout the duration of my case, he maintained exceptional communication with me, providing every detail and explaining every juncture as they arose. Alex is a dogged advocate but has a big heart as well. I would recommend him to anyone.

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Joseph p.

Wyoming Child Custody Laws

In the state of Wyoming, the main consideration in all custody decisions is the best interest of the child, not what each parent deserves. During the court process, both parents will attempt to prove why he or she should have custody of their shared child, and this process can unearth other issues as well.

For example, you might have one parent who is perfectly wonderful and emotionally available, but who travels consistently for work. This parent may not be equipped to provide stability for a child and will likely not be awarded custody.

The other parent who maybe can’t afford to give their child the latest toys or gadgets, but who takes them to baseball practice every week and makes their lunches every morning, might be awarded custody. A good child custody lawyer will set realistic expectations before you get to the courtroom.

Courts consider various factors such as parental fitness, the child’s relationship with each parent, the distance between the parents’ homes, and any history of domestic violence or abuse.

There is a rebuttable presumption that married couples have equal rights to custody of their children. In Wyoming, there is no prejudice or bias in favor of mothers over fathers, and the court does not award custody to one parent solely based on their gender.

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When Custody gets complicated, we're ready

Child custody can change your child's life. Where they sleep. Who they call when they’re scared. These cases can bring out the best and worst in people. We’ve seen parents who put in the work to change, and others who say all the right things but keep letting their kids down.

We handle emergencies, long fights, and everything in between. We know how to get the right evidence in front of a judge, and we’re honest about what Wyoming law will and won’t do. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to show up for your child, and we’ll show up for you.

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The Types of Child Custody in Wyoming

There are two major forms of child custody: legal and physical.

Legal custody refers to each parent’s right to make routine, day-to-day decisions regarding their child’s welfare. This includes areas like academics, medical and dental care, sports, etc.

Physical custody refers to the amount of parenting time each parent has and where the child primarily lives. We'll cover both of these in a case strategy meeting. We'll give you honest feedback as to where you stand and how we can build your case. Contact us today for a case strategy call.  

What If the parents don't agree?

If the parents can’t agree on a custody arrangement, it’s unlikely a judge will award them joint or shared custody. That kind of setup requires cooperation, and if the two sides can’t get there on their own or with help from their attorneys, the court won’t force it.

Mediation is often a good path forward. It’s voluntary, confidential, and can be quicker and less expensive than going to trial. Each parent sits in a separate room with their attorney while a trained mediator moves between them to explore settlement options.

If a resolution is reached, a formal agreement can usually be signed that day and submitted to the court for approval. If not, then the matter will be brought before a judge. Whatever the situation, Freeburg Law will always speak up for your rights.

Our Family Law Firm In Jackson, Wyoming

We serve clients in Jackson Hole and the wider Teton County area.

Our office address:
235 E BROADWAY AVE #103, JACKSON, WY 83001

Get in Touch For A Case Strategy Session

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