Vanessa Jean Gorden

Vanessa attended the University of South Dakota for college, graduate school, and law school, and earned her J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2005. She is a member of the Thomas Sterling Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed upon the top 10% of students in each USD Law graduating class. Prior to moving to Lincoln in 2008, Vanessa practiced law in rural northeastern Nebraska. Throughout her career, Vanessa has concentrated on representing individuals in family law, juvenile law, and guardianship/adoption matters in probate court. Vanessa was honored to be part of the 2008-2009 Nebraska State Bar Association Leadership Academy. She has also served as Chair of the Volunteer Lawyers' Project committee for the Nebraska State Bar. Recently Vanessa was honored to receive the "10 Best Client Satisfaction Award" from the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys in 2016 and the "Top 10 Attorneys Under 40" award from the National Academy Of Family Law Attorneys in 2015.

University of South Dakota School of Law

J.D. (2005) | Law

2002 - 2005

Honors: Thomas Sterling Honor Society (Top 10% of graduating class); CALI awards in Property and Jurisprudence

Activities: R.D. Hurd Pro Bono Society; Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity

Attorney/Owner

GordenLaw, LLC

2011 - Current

How to Partner With Your Divorce Attorney

Stress Free Divorce Vol IV

2018

"Filing for Divorce" & "Effective Use of Discovery", Divorce Law Guide A to Z, Omaha, Nebraska

December 8, 2016

National Business Institute, Inc.

Life Coach Certification

New Skills Academy

2019

Family Law Trial Advocacy graduate

National Institute of Trial Advocacy/American Bar Association

2019

10 Best Client Satisfaction

American Institute of Family Law Attorneys

2016

Top 10 Family Law Attorneys Under 40

National Academy of Family Law Attorneys

2015

Nebraska State Bar  # 23294

Member

Current

Nebraska

Since 2006

South Dakota

Since 2005

• Credit Cards Accepted
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  We do charge for initial consultations, because we also provide you some advice you are able to use to protect your goals and interests even if you do not choose to proceed with your matter with our firm.

Family Law

Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law

Divorce

Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce

Juvenile Law

Q. CPS is trying to get a hold of me and I'm not sure why do I need to return their phone calls

9 February 2021

A: If you are concerned that you may be accused of something, you can request a lawyer reach out to them for you or be present when you are interviewed. If you are a parent being investigated, be aware that they may go to school or elsewhere to interview your children. You may wish to visit confidentially with a lawyer about this situation to be sure you are protecting yourself.

Q. In NE, is the mother awarded temporary custody after spliting from the Childs father if they weren't married?

6 January 2021

A: Yes. Absent anything to the contrary, natural mom of a child born out of wedlock is considered custodial parent by Nebraska law, but there are a number of factors that may change this, such as whether paternity was established by acknowledgment of the father, whether the parents are residing together, etc. Practically speaking, law enforcement considers custody of a child a civil matter and are not going to take children from either parent without a court order (and even then they sometimes refuse). However, the best action for both parents is to either obtain pre-hearing parenting time agreements in writing or a court order for temporary parenting time before giving up possession of a child. Whether mother or father, I highly recommend at least consulting with an attorney confidentially about the specific facts to determine best course of action as custody is so very fact-specific. Best wishes!

Q. How do I get paper to file To terminate guardianship To where I could at least get it into court

28 December 2020

A: For a minor child, you can use the Supreme Court form here: https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/CC-16-3-2.pdf You will have to give notice to the appropriate parties, etc.