About the Office

The Law Office of Christine Nguyen Thomas is a Divorce and Family Law Office dedicated to excellence in legal counsel and committed to making legal services accessible and affordable for self-represented litigants.

Ms. Thomas’ practice is devoted exclusively to handling non-litigated family law matters–she handles cases that do not go to court. Ms. Thomas does not make court appearances; thus, her practice is tailored toward clients who anticipate their case can be expediently and reasonably settled without litigation.

Ms. Thomas’ office assists self-represented clients by offering Limited Scope Representation, or unbundled legal services. Limited Scope Representation allows clients who do not need or cannot afford to hire a traditional, full representation attorney to still have the benefit of legal counsel on a limited or as-needed basis. Ms. Thomas offers both consulting and legal advice, as well as document review and preparation. These services are offered with affordable initial retainer deposits, and the initial consultation is offered at a discount from Ms. Thomas’ regular hourly rate.

At the Law Office of Christine Nguyen Thomas, instead of a paralegal or secretary working on your case, Ms. Thomas will personally take care of your matter, and she will communicate directly with you by email, telephone, or in person, which ever is most convenient for you.

Attorney Profile

CHRISTINE NGUYEN THOMAS
Attorney at Law

Ms. Thomas is a Divorce and Family Law Attorney who has devoted her practice exclusively to divorce and family law for over a decade in Ventura County. She practiced at a boutique family law firm in Westlake Village for ten years before opening her own office in Oxnard. Her practice is focused on divorce cases filed in the Ventura Superior Court.

Ms. Thomas earned her Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law in 2003 and her B.A. in Psychology and Economics from UCSB in 2000. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in December 2003.

Ms. Thomas is a licensed and active member of the State Bar. She is also a member of the Family Law sections of the California Lawyers Association and the Ventura County Bar Association.

Family Law Practice Areas

  • Divorce (Dissolution of Marriage)
  • Legal Separation
  • Child Custody
  • Parenting Plans
  • Child Support
  • Spousal Support
  • Property Division
  • Reimbursements
  • Petition & Response
  • Initial Temporary Orders
  • Request for Order
  • Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure
  • Final Declaration of Disclosure
  • Income and Expense Declaration
  • Schedule of Assets and Debts
  • Order After Hearing
  • Stipulation and Order
  • Modification of Custody Order
  • Modification of Child Support Order
  • Modification of Spousal Support Order
  • Mandatory Settlement Conference Brief
  • Memorandum of Points and Authorities
  • Legal Briefs
  • Marital Settlement Agreement (“MSA”)
  • Judgment
  • Post-Judgment Modification

Limited Scope Services

The Law Office of Christine Nguyen Thomas offers an array of Limited Scope Services and you as the client decide which services you need. The services we offer include consulting and legal advice, as well as document review and preparation.

Consulting and Legal Advice

  • Initial consultation
  • Ongoing consultations
  • Negotiating settlements
  • Consultations while you attend private mediation

Document Review and Preparation

  • Filing for divorce or responding to divorce
  • Preparing financial disclosures
  • Preparing DissoMaster reports for child support and temporary spousal support
  • Filing or responding to a Request for Order
  • Drafting responses to formal discovery requests
  • Review or drafting of settlement agreements
  • Review or drafting of pleadings, court orders, and court documents
  • Preparing judgments for uncontested divorces
  • E-filing of court documents
  • Mail service of documents

Limited Scope Representation is flexible and can be tailored to meet your needs and fit within your budget. If you have an uncontested family law case, Ms. Thomas can help you with as little or as much of your case as you’d like. Ms. Thomas can prepare the court paperwork if you and your spouse agree on all terms of settlement. Even if you have some disagreements, but you strongly believe that you will be able to reach a resolution without going to court, Ms. Thomas can help you negotiate the final terms of your settlement and then prepare the paperwork for entry of judgment. If all you need is a few hours to consult with an attorney to learn about your rights, obligations, and options on how to proceed, or if you simply prefer to have an attorney on hand for ongoing consultations and advice, then Ms. Thomas can offer those services, as well.

Under Limited Scope Representation, Ms. Thomas does not enter the case as your attorney of record. Instead, you remain self-represented (“Pro Per”) during the proceeding while receiving the benefit of legal counsel from an experienced divorce lawyer. Because Ms. Thomas only handles non-litigated family law matters, she does not make any court appearances. If your case requires a court appearance, you would either make the court appearance on your own or you would hire another attorney to appear in court for you.

Issues we do not handle:

The Law Office of Christine Nguyen Thomas handles many areas in the complex field of Divorce and Family Law. However, there are some cases that Ms. Thomas does not handle, where a full representation attorney would be best. Ms. Thomas does not handle cases involving these issues or circumstances:

  • You and your spouse have major points of disagreement (such as a heated custody battle)
  • Formal discovery is needed to ascertain the nature and extent of property and finances
  • Your deposition will be taken or you want to depose another party
  • You expect litigation is inevitable or anticipated
  • Extremely time sensitive or exigent circumstances that require immediate court orders for protection or relief
  • Domestic violence matters
  • Restraining orders
  • Ex Parte emergency matters

Not all cases are well suited for Limited Scope Representation. Learn more about Limited Scope Representation here, including the types of Limited Scope arrangements available, and then contact our office to schedule a consultation with Ms. Thomas and she will evaluate whether your case could benefit from Limited Scope services.

Rates & Fees

Hourly Rate: Ms. Thomas charges an hourly rate for all legal services. Please call the office for Ms. Thomas’ hourly rate.

Initial Consultation Fee: The initial consultation is offered at a discount from Ms. Thomas’ regular hourly rate. The initial consultation charge is a flat fee of $200 for a meeting of up to 60 minutes. Our office does not offer free consultations as we believe the consultation will be informative, and you will gain valuable knowledge and advice from an experienced Family Law Attorney.

Retainer Deposit: A Limited Scope retainer will generally be smaller than a retainer for a traditional full representation attorney. While the retainer deposit is not a prediction or guarantee of the total fees that may be incurred, on average, the initial retainer for Ms. Thomas’ services ranges from $1,500 to $3,500. At the end of the initial consultation, Ms. Thomas will have an impression of the complexity of your case and the amount of work that may be needed, and she will let you know the initial retainer amount. Once the initial retainer is depleted, the retainer is replenished with additional deposits before further work is done on your case. If the retainer is not used in full when your case is completed, then you will receive a refund of any balance.

Filing Fees & Costs: If a document you are filing with the court requires a filing fee, you will pay that cost separately from Ms. Thomas’ hourly rate. Filing fees are paid directly to the Ventura Superior Court. If you request E-filing of court documents, the court’s third-party vendor charges nominal fees for the E-filing service.

How to Get Started: We welcome you to call our office for more information about our services. After a brief intake process, the office will schedule an appointment for you to meet with Ms. Thomas for an initial consultation. At the consultation, Ms. Thomas will listen as you describe your family law issues and concerns, and she will answer your questions and provide you with her legal opinion for your situation. You may bring any paperwork to the consultation that you would like Ms. Thomas to look at. At the end of the consultation, Ms. Thomas will be able to let you know if your case is suited for Limited Scope Representation and whether she is able to help you moving forward. If you wish to retain Ms. Thomas after the consultation, then you will be provided with a Retainer Agreement to review. The Limited Scope Representation will commence after you and Ms. Thomas both sign the Retainer Agreement and the initial deposit payment is made.

Contact

Phone (805) 351-8866

1000 Town Center Drive, Suite 300
Oxnard, California 93036

The Law Office of Christine Nguyen Thomas serves the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and surrounding areas in Ventura County, California.

The office is centrally located mid-county in Oxnard, in the National University building, across from The Collection shopping center and Whole Foods Market, off the 101 freeway at Oxnard Blvd. There is free, ample parking in front of the office building.

 

Driving Directions

Exit the 101 Freeway at Oxnard Blvd.
Head north toward the National University building.
Turn left on Town Center Drive.
Turn right into the parking lot at the first driveway on your right.
Take the elevator to the Third Floor and turn right when you exit the elevator.