Family Law

• Divorce
  Even in an uncontested divorce, a couple is likely to have disagreements about the terms of their divorce settlement. In more complicated situations, such disagreements can grow into serious disputes. Our lawyers have the knowledge, resources, and experience to protect your rights during divorce negotiations and to help you obtain the best possible outcome. We are equipped to help you with issues related to...
• Child Support
  Getting through a divorce or obtaining parental rights as an unmarried parent is a difficult experience. A court order to address child support, custody, and placement concerns is vital to your parent-child relationship. Life moves on after divorce. Often substantial changes in job opportunities, income or the needs of your child can make a current child support order or custody arrangement unworkable. It is often tempting for individuals to try to work out a new arrangement with an ex-spouse when changes make it impossible to follow an existing order. Unfortunately, the order in place remains enforceable without a post-judgment modification, exposing you to great risk.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Arriving at a meaningful child custody and placement arrangement can be difficult for any parent going through divorce. Parents frequently disagree over what will serve the best interests of their children. Wisconsin law is geared toward ensuring that the child will have meaningful and consistent contact with each of his or her parents.
• Adoption
• Premarital Agreement
• Guardianship
  In law school, she was a member of the Valparaiso Law Criminal Law Clinic, in which she represented indigent clients charged with both lowlevel misdemeanors and violent felony offenses. She also interned with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office in Lake County, Indiana and continued to gain experience in criminal defense. Although passionate about criminal law, she discovered a similar passion for family and juvenile law after taking multiple classes and seminars in law school. Breanne now routinely accepts Guardian ad Litem and advocate counsel appointments in Waukesha County. She also handles placement and custody disputes, child support modifications, CHIPS cases, guardianships, termination of parental rights, adoption and other related matters. Outside of the family, juvenile and criminal law arena, she devotes much of her practice to OWI defense, municipal law, and restraining orders.
• Spousal Support
  Divorce is not only stressful on a personal level; it can also be extremely difficult financially. If you are planning to divorce, you may have questions about how alimony, officially called spousal maintenance, is handled in Wisconsin. Spousal maintenance payments are intended to help reduce the financial burden that a lesser-earning spouse experiences after divorce. Both men and women can be required to pay spousal maintenance, and both could be recipients of such payments. Unfortunately, divorcing couples often disagree about spousal maintenance, and these disagreements may require help from a qualified spousal maintenance attorney.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Despite decades of awareness efforts and educational campaigns, domestic violence continues to be a serious problem for many thousands of families throughout the country, including many right here in southeastern Wisconsin. The issue of domestic violence is one that often blurs the line between family matters and criminal law. Accusations made during the heat of a marital or household dispute could lead to an arrest and criminal charges if the police are called. Political and social pressure, especially in recent years, has placed law enforcement officers in an unenviable position of having to worry about being "better safe than sorry." This means that if the police come to your home on a domestic violence call, there is a chance that you will be arrested, even if you did nothing wrong. Fortunately, the experienced attorneys at Bucher, Wolff & Sonderhouse, LLP are committed to helping you protect your good name and safeguarding your rights throughout the criminal justice process.
• DUI/DWI
  Are you facing a difficult legal matter? Perhaps you or someone you love has been arrested and charged with drunk driving or another serious crime. Or, maybe you are considering the possibility of a divorce —a possibility that is inching ever closer to reality. Whatever the situation may be, you probably realize that you need help, but with so many law firms and lawyers to choose from, how could you possibly know which one to pick?
• Traffic Violations
  Under the law in Wisconsin, your driving privileges could be suspended or revoked for many different reasons. For example, a suspension is likely if you accumulate 12 or more "points" on your license in a 12-month period. The length of the suspension will depend on the specific traffic violations for which points were put on your license. Your license could also be revoked for refusing a breath or blood test for blood alcohol content (BAC) following an arrest on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). An OWI conviction will also lead to the revocation of your driving privileges. The specifics of the revocation for OWI-related situations will depend on your personal history and the severity of the charges for which you were convicted.
• Sex Crimes
  Unlike many other states, Wisconsin law does not provide for distinct criminal charges related to domestic abuse. Instead, each of the behaviors that constitute domestic violence can be charged under the broader offenses of disorderly conduct, battery and sexual assault. Charges can range from Class A misdemeanors up to Class B felonies, depending on the circumstances.
• Fraud
• Robbery
• White Collar Crimes
  Each year, millions of Americans are affected by identity theft. Not only is identity theft, in all its forms, on the rise, but it is also among the fastest-growing crimes across the nation. Like many other states, Wisconsin takes a hard line against fraudulent behavior, including identity theft, and the penalties for a conviction can be severe. If you are facing charges related to identity theft or any other fraud-related white-collar crime, the experienced attorneys at Bucher, Wolff & Sonderhouse, LLP are ready to help you.
• Theft
• Misdemeanors
  At Bucher, Wolff & Sonderhouse, LLP, in Waukesha, our weapons charges defense attorneys review every relevant detail to ensure that our clients' rights are protected. Weapons offenses can range in severity from misdemeanor charges to felonies. Frequently, minor charges for unlawful carrying may result from a search. We look closely at the officer's alleged reason to justify the search. Disputes may arise over who is responsible for a weapon found in a car occupied by more than one person. We will not fold in holding the prosecutor to his or her burden.
• Embezzlement
• Drug Crimes
  A conviction on any type of drug possession charge in Wisconsin could potentially change the course of the rest of your life. The possession of a controlled substance or an illegal drug can be prosecuted as a felony, even if it is your first offense, and being convicted could leave you facing jail time and hefty fines, as well as a permanent criminal record.
• Assault
  There is a good chance that you have heard the terms "assault" and "battery" used together as if they were describing a single incident or event. Each term, however, describes a different type of behavior, and the two are treated differently under Wisconsin law. Assault, in general, refers to any action or behavior that causes a person to fear imminent bodily harm. The person does not need to be touched in order to be assaulted. In many cases, allegations of assault are handled in civil court.
• Murder
  High-conflict divorces seem to bring out the absolute worst in people, making closure and moving forward difficult, if not impossible. While there are many aspects to a high-conflict divorce, this type of divorce rarely exists if three elements are absent: personality, motive, and means. While those words may conjure up visions of a murder mystery, they also apply to a high-conflict divorce. If you believe your divorce will be especially complex, speaking to an Oconomowoc, WI family law attorney can be beneficial. Â
• Juvenile Crimes
  Breanne was the past president of her law school’s branch of Phi Alpha Delta, a renown national legal fraternity. She has been an active member of the Association of Women Lawyers. She also is a member of the Waukesha County Bar Association, and served for many years as the Chair of the Juvenile Law Section of the Waukesha County Bar Association. Breanne was voted the “2013 Rookie of the Year†by the Waukesha County Bar Association Board of Directors and has been a yearly recipient of the “Super Lawyers†Rising Star award for the past eight years. She acts as a guest Teen Court Judge (a diversion program for youths in the community). Breanne is also the Court Commissioner to the Honorable William J. Domina. She resides in Waukesha and enjoys any opportunity to get involved in the local legal community or the community at large.
• Identity Theft
  The actions and behaviors that are most commonly associated with identity theft are addressed under Wisconsin State Statute 943.201, and the offense is officially known as "unauthorized use of an individual's personal identifying information or documents." Under this law, it is illegal for a person to use another individual's personal information for the purposes of...
• Homicide
• Shoplifting
  Depending on the jurisdiction, a first offense for low-level retail theft will result in a citation from the local police. If you have received a ticket for shoplifting merchandise valued at less than $100, you are not facing criminal charges. However, it may still be in your best interest to challenge the citation, especially if you did not commit the alleged offense. Our attorneys can help you determine the best course of action for dealing with a retail theft ordinance violation.
• Restraining Order
  Basic harassment is punishable by a fine up to $1,000. Harassment becomes a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to nine months in jail and $10,000 in fines if the harassment includes a credible threat that places the other individual in reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death. It is also a Class A misdemeanor if the harassment violates any type of restraining order or no-contact order. Felony charges are possible for repeat violations.
• Forgery
  Financial crimes, also known as white-collar offenses, generally include most types of fraud, as well as identity theft, forgery, and many other theft -related crimes. These offenses are nearly always non-violent in nature, but due to the impact they can have on a business or a family, they are taken very seriously under Wisconsin law. In most cases, a conviction will result in prison time for the offender, even for a first offense.
• Kidnapping
• Manslaughter

Health Law

• Auto Accidents

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Before joining Wolff & Sonderhouse, Brandon was an Extern for the United States Air Force in the Moody Air Force Base, Georgia JAG office. While at Moody, Brandon assisted in court-martial proceedings and worked with service members to plan and execute estate planning documents. Brandon also served as a Judicial Intern for Honorable Chief Judge Lisa Neubauer where he drafted judicial opinions and researched complicated legal issues. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Waukesha County Bar Association and the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
• Probate