Family law is a unique area of practice focused on divorce, paternity, custody and placement issues, child support, maintenance, and grandparent placement. Attorney Dawn Gergen specializes in the area of family law. She brings over 30 years of experience practicing in Dodge County and the surrounding counties in southeastern Wisconsin. She has represented many husbands, wives, parents, and grandparents in difficult family matters.
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Custody and Placement: Legal custody means the right to make major decisions about children. In Wisconsin, major decisions include non-emergency healthcare, choice of school and religion. Legal custody can be joint or sole. In Wisconsin, “legal custody†means decision making, it does not mean where the children live. It does not designate placement. Physical placement means where the children live, with whom and during what period of time. Court orders regarding physical placement can either be very general or specific. Over the course of her career, Dawn Gergen has worked out many different physical placement arrangements for her clients and has tried the issues of physical placement to the court when an agreement could not be reached.
Paternity
Paternity: In many cases, the parents of a child have never married. This generally results in a paternity action being filed in circuit court. In the paternity action, the paternity of the child would first be established and then the issues of legal custody, physical placement, child support, who claims the child as a tax deduction, what parent covers the health insurance for the child and other issues need to be resolved.  Most paternity actions are commenced by the county child support agency. Dawn Gergen has also commenced paternity actions on behalf of her clients and paternity acknowledgment actions in circuit courts where no action has yet been filed.
Guardianship
So, whether the assistance you need is a car accident or workplace injury, divorce or paternity matter, estate plan or the probate of an estate, a criminal or traffic charge, real estate matter or other civil litigation, guardianship or even small claims matters, Gergen, Gergen & Pretto has the attorneys you need to help solve your legal problems.
Spousal Support
Maintenance: Maintenance, or spousal support (formerly known as alimony), can be ordered by a court in a divorce action taking into account the relevant facts of any particular case. The award of maintenance is spelled out in the Wisconsin Statutes and is the subject of many cases brought before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals. Unlike the area of child support, there are no formulas for a court to calculate maintenance or spousal support. This is why it is important to have an attorney with experience to guide you through the process of a maintenance case. Dawn Gergen has handled many maintenance negotiations in divorce actions and has tried maintenance issues to the court.
Bill Gergen has been successfully defending persons charged with crimes for over 31 years in Dodge and surrounding counties. Not guilty verdicts have been achieved in cases ranging from drug possession to sexual assault, disorderly conduct to battery.
Misdemeanors
More commonly, a defense attorney is called upon to make the best of a bad situation. In Bill’s words, “My job is to minimize the negative effect on your life of any mistake you have made.†That’s the job. If that means taking a case to trial, negotiating a misdemeanor resolution to a felony case, or keeping the client out of prison at an argued sentencing, Bill has the ability and judgment to guide you through the criminal process and get the optimal results obtainable given your particular fact situation.
Contract disputes can be complex and require an attorney experienced in drafting and litigating business agreements and breaches of contract. When someone doesn’t keep his or her word and breaks a legally binding contract, there are consequences. If you’re involved in a contract dispute, you need the help of an experienced contract dispute lawyer. Gergen, Gergen & Pretto, S.C., located right here in Beaver Dam, are available to help.
Accidents occur both during and after the completion of construction projects every day. From getting caught in between machinery to deadly falls, construction failures and accidents claim hundreds of lives every year. Gergen, Gergen and Pretto can help you secure compensation from responsible parties if you are injured in a construction environment either through the workers compensation system of under general liability concepts.
And it is understood, if you send me your clients for a litigation, I will send them right back to you to do their wills, real estate matters, etc. I am here to help you, not steal your clients. Give me a call.
Premises Liability
Over the years we have seen all types of accidents in farm environments – several of which resulted in devastating injuries and fatalities. Farming accidents often involve legal matters, such as insurance coverage, OSHA violations, workers’ compensation, premises liability and defective product liability.
Construction Litigation
No matter what type of contract dispute you need help with, the attorneys at Gergen, Gergen & Pretto, S.C., can give you sound advice and representation both in and out of the courtroom.
Property Damage
Automobile accidents are common occurrences that result in incalculable losses in terms of personal injury, property damage and inconvenience. Some accidents result only in property damage, others lead to permanent disability or death, but all result in uncertainty and confusion. Attorney Pretto has handled hundreds of automobile accident claims over his career. He knows how to quickly and effectively address the needs of the victims and how to secure fair compensation for injuries and damages.
When it comes to personal injury accidents, everybody likes to think “That will never happen to me”. After a serious accident the thought quickly changes to “Why me?” and “What am I going to do?” If you or a family member are injured in an accident your best option is to obtain experienced, accomplished, successful and local legal representation. Gergen, Gergen & Pretto can provide the help you need.
Auto Accidents
Dog Bites
Dog bites and attacks can be extremely damaging, resulting in permanent scarring and disfigurement. In Wisconsin we hold a dog owner responsible for damages that result from a dog bite or attack on a person, domestic animal, or property. This is true whether or not the dog has a history of violence and aggression. The victim does not have to prove the owner did anything wrong to deserve compensation. If the dog had previously caused injuries, the victim may be entitled to double damages. Consequently, it is important to determine if the dog had caused harm in the past.
We know how to meet your legal needs with personal attention and care. If you need home or hospital visits for personal injury, civil and estate planning cases, we will come to you. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay attorney’s fees unless we are successful. We are here to help you. Give us a call.
Power of Attorney
What this means is that while your estate planning documents are important (especially your Will), when it comes to trusts, powers of attorney, and the selection of who to perform those functions, choosing the right person to do the job (power of attorney, trustee, personal representative) is far more important than what the paperwork says.
Probate
Dawn Gergen specializes in family law including divorce, paternity, custody and placement, child support and maintenance cases, as well as guardianship and probate matters. In her 30 years of practicing family and probate law she has represented many husbands, wives, parents and grandparents in difficult family situations working out resolutions that are beneficial to her clients and litigating matters in court when negotiations and settlements are not possible.