People going through a divorce have different goals and interests. There are some that are incredibly angry, and they want a “legal shark” to make the other person suffer. Then there are those who are simply sad (but not mad) that the marriage did not work out, and they would like to exit as quickly and gracefully as possible. The statistics actually show that 66% fall into the latter category, and those are truly the people I enjoy working with the most, not the former.
After over a decade of experience with family law cases in the nation’s capitol, most people are fully aware of the reputation I have established. I volunteer a lot of my time to promoting settlements outside of court, including the use of Collaborative Divorce and mediation as alternatives to resolve family disputes. I have chosen to spend my time dedicating my efforts to helping families preserve as much goodwill as possible, and to focus on the children. I feel I am helping create a better society, and in making that choice I accept that I will never generate the kinds of fees that my colleagues focused on litigation can make for their firms.
The fact is, most Americans, cannot afford a full blown litigated case, and it is my goal to help as many people as possible at reasonable rates. True “high-conflict cases” only comprise about 20% of all divorces, but unfortunately those are the ones people hear about the most. These tend to gravitate towards big firms with 24/7 resources for these cases that often demand immediate attention. For those that feel they need these kinds of services, and are able to pay the huge rates that accompany that type of service, it is still imperative that clients research the reputation of the firm’s partners. All divorce lawyers are not created equally, and if you are going to entrust your family’s future to someone, you need to make sure you are in good, trustworthy hands.
