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05 Aug, 2024 by Tosha harry
The senior associate Katherine Karstetter allows her clients to violate laws and encourages them to file false government reports saying they have a right. Falsifying reports to the FBI, police, making calls to anyone who knows me and scouting USA is not okay trying to get me fired, and trying to stop my advocacy, training and support of disabled, low income, and children is not okay. Shame on you. Glad you defend people who have no defense. It is okay for your client to have my information my family's information our addresses, phone numbers, license plate numbers on sticky notes in her possession.You defend and believe pathological liers who report false felony accusations, who has a personality disorders when you know they are mentally ill. Shame on you.
Abusing and neglecting your child is not okay, and continuing to affect children's and others mental health, and physical health with inappropriate interactions is not okay. Your law firm should be about facts and the truth not defending blatant liers and allowing them to stalk and abuse people. But yes you are a shoulder to cry on that obviously does not have the mental capacity or morals to distinguish right from wrong. Shame on you....
You said I court anyone has a right to file complaints so here it is. You are a guardian ad lidium Shame on you, you do not protect anyone.
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08 Dec, 2023 by Reezy pratiwi
I'd like to thank my wonderful attorney Ms. Kate Karstetter for helping me through out this whole case. I have no complaints and only good things to say about her. She took good care of my case as promised and I could tell she really cared about what happened to me. Im beyond grateful because my case finally closed. Thank you for everything!. I will recommend you to anyone in need.
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30 Jun, 2023 by Vader family
I would give zero stars if I could. I was supposed to be served with court papers and he emailed me an attachment with an unfinished report without the case number and no court room. It said if you can not make it to court you can attend through WebEx. He sent me to the wrong court room on the wrong county. I still have not been served papers probably. They will not return my calls or texts.
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22 Apr, 2024 by Heidi algha
Attorney (I feel embarrassed even calling him that) Rechard Tegtmeier frequently made excuses and exhibited a lack of diligence in handling my case. Throughout the duration of my interactions with Tegtmeier, I found his behavior to be extremely inappropriate and disrespectful. I had to tell him to withdraw and had a different attorney represent me. He consistently came across as rude and displayed a clear disdain towards individuals of color, including myself. Despite my attempts to maintain professionalism and cooperation, I could sense an underlying prejudice in his demeanor towards me.
It became evident to me, and subsequently to others in similar situations, that his representation was marred by discrimination against minority groups. I have since learned that I am not the only individual who has felt marginalized and mistreated by Tegtmeier's actions.
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01 Apr, 2024 by Jazmin rodriguez
Unethical charges when they have conversation within there own team, you as the client get charged for them talking about your case amongst them! STAY AWAY
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15 Dec, 2023 by Beans2g0
Wonderful people in a beautiful office. Staff and attorneys are friendly and happy
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12 Apr, 2024 by Moni coupel
The most amazing and caring people are Herr. Have hired them multiple times and referred many others who have had great experiences as well.
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09 Apr, 2019 by World travel mgt deanna ballard
This is a great law firm. Very Ethical and very thorough with every client they have.
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07 Feb, 2019 by Margaret deluca
Apparently out of business or extended hiatus. They do not return emails or phone calls after initial consultation. It's shame, because they seemed to be the perfect fit for our issues.
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03 Jan, 2024 by Mr .emanuel williams
Great placs
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28 Apr, 2023 by Belinda robinson
Thank you Elizabeth for your time and effort in helping me with my divorce case. From beginning to end you were very kind and helped me with the submission of the correct paperwork. I highly recommend you and your firm!
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26 Jan, 2022 by J manley
Great
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03 Jan, 2024 by Mr .emanuel williams
Great placs
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28 Apr, 2023 by Belinda robinson
Thank you Elizabeth for your time and effort in helping me with my divorce case. From beginning to end you were very kind and helped me with the submission of the correct paperwork. I highly recommend you and your firm!
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26 Jan, 2022 by J manley
Great
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21 Aug, 2023 by Nate
Given my experience, John Tatlock, is an awful attorney. He was lazy and disengaged, combative with me when I advocated for myself, and brought no financial expertise, which is why I hired him in the first place. In hindsight and after review from a new firm it is clear that John as a shareholder is more interested in billing than representing.
I am extremely disappointed that this quality of lawyer is acceptable in the Denver legal system. Steer Clear
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23 Mar, 2016 by Wayne
John, represented me on my divorce case, where it was very litigious and complicated by the other party. He defended my with honor and saved me from some major expenses, we had to go to trial several times because of the other parties unwillingness to cooperate with the court orders, and on most of the issues was able to win many of the rulings in my favor. He is quite confident and represents his clients well in court and is very well prepared and ready to fight for what is right and just. He is also a very smart and compassionate family attorney who knows his stuff. He was always available on the phone/email and responded to my queries promptly. Above all, he is a great human being who genuinely cares for his clients. I felt I not only found an excellent attorney but a great friend as well.
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13 Mar, 2016 by Patrick
I was very disappointed with the way that the Harris Law Firm handled my case. The firm was expensive, difficult to keep on task, and the attorneys rarely dedicated the needed time to handle important things that came up. In the weeks leading up to the final hearing, the firm personnel were increasingly difficult to reach and ultimately, with only three weeks prior to hearing, they filed a surprise, uncoordinated withdrawal. This threw the case into chaos and completely changed the hearing schedule, adding months to the process with much additional emotional and financial pain. I would not hire this firm again
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29 Jan, 2017 by Anonymous
I hired this guy and he told me he would be using one of his other new attorneys to do some of the grunt work to keep the costs down. He disappeared after that and no matter how often I requested he get involved I was stuck with the young, inexperienced attorney which ended up costing me a lot more money and frustration. It looks like he was on probation the same time I hired him which was never disclosed to me. Also, they billed my credit card several times without my permission even when I told them not to and that I preferred to write a check. I finally had to cancel my card since they were obviously keeping it on file somewhere without my permission.
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23 Jul, 2014 by Thomas
Dave fought hard for me in a tough situation. I didn't do much to help him by not following the Court's Orders and not listening to his advice, but he didn't pull any punches and told me the cold, hard truth about the consequences. Because he was so honest about how my case would play out in court, I trusted his advice and things turned around. Can't say I got everything I wanted, but I can say I think I got everything I could.
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22 Sep, 2023 by Susy
She is my ex's second attorney. She came in after the CFI's work is done. Through the recent Financial Statement she made for my ex. I can tell she is far away from professional by ignoring all the facts that have presented by my ex and his 1st attorney.
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09 May, 2023 by Ann
Best attorney I have had!! She listened and went after what was best for me and my kids! She's a kick-butt attorney!!
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21 Jun, 2015 by Tammy
Ron Litvak represented me in my divorce and he negotiated an excellent settlement on my behalf. It was a difficult time, I had three young children, and Ron made sure that I was informed and he kept me up-to-date on the developments of the case. If you find yourself in need of a divorce attorney I highly recommend that you seek the counsel of Ron Litvak.
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27 Jun, 2013 by Peter
I used Ron for my Divorce case and he made so many error that I was forced to hire an new lawyer and redo the whole process. My current lawyer was shocked that anyone with a legal background would allow me to sign the agreement he drafted. DO NOT USE THIS GUY!! In addition to making huge legal error - he sent me a bill that over estimated what he was owed.
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04 Aug, 2017 by K shelley
Anne was referred to me by Paul Rumler. I liked her the moment I met her. She was all business. She takes the case seriously and does the best she can with all the things that come up during this difficult situation and the best part is she knows the system.
She could relate to my lack of knowledge of the system and frankly how all of it works and doesn't work. She was truthful to me and she can make mistakes. But she has a heart and I felt she was professional from start to finish. I appreciated that when things were going poorly the big picture was always brought up. If you have your act together you will work well with Anne. At least I did and I did well as the outcome. But then I didn't want to destroy another person's life.
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13 Dec, 2016 by Jeff
I first met Anne several years ago through a reference of Paul Rumler. Anne told me, my wife did not care about me and was just after money. She was right about that. Unfortunately Anne didn't care much for me either, as her client. I thought she was a tough, strong attorney but she was intimidated by my wife's attorney. Anne has a reputation for settling and not getting the best deal for her clients. She doesn't like to go to court. Of the many things I feel she did wrong was wait to schedule mediation two days before our temp orders were due. That put a lot of pressure on me and I ended up settling for a lot and now stuck until perm orders. We were on the defensive for most of the time and finally when we made an offensive move, the court found it pre-mature and I ended up paying fees for my wife's attorney. I never felt like Anne was on my side. You pay these attorneys a lot of money and trust them completely. I just felt let down in many ways.
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25 May, 2022 by Anonymous
I switched to Langdon after the other side retained a shark. Langdon was tough but fair and always on his game. My case took three years to negotiate due to its complexity yet Langdon never tired and consistently prepared for the battle.
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14 Mar, 2015 by Anonymous
He is not responsive to my case. Seems more in himself and his big cases. Has missed deadlines and blames his staff. Takes months to get my case filed with the courts. Terrible.
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11 Jun, 2014 by Anonymous
Langdon and his staff are hard working, experienced, skilled professionals. Throughout my lengthy divorce Langdon provided representation above and beyond my expectations. He is an excellent negotiator- organized and thorough. However, the other side forced us to trial. He's a top notch litigator. VERY, VERY good in the court room. I had complete confidence in him and felt secure knowing he was taking care of everything.
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23 Aug, 2022 by Rachel
Mr. Wasley was unprofessional when I first spoke to him in 2019. This is regarding the custody case. Between the father of my child and I. I expressed to Mr. Wasley. What if? The other party was lying. Mr. Wasley. stated he has a " B.S meter". That's what first. Was kind of odd. To me, the choice of words he was using. When I spoke. to Mr. Wasley in 2021. He told me if I needed to talk to him again to reach out to him for another phone call, he never answered me back. He's a lazy investigator. He said the state is not paying him no money at all, so I feel like he did a lazy job on the investigation!
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22 Aug, 2022 by Anonymous
Mr. Wasley was great in the beginning. Scheduled everything came out my home right away for my DR case with my kids ( for drug and alcohol abuse as well as physically abusing on their dads side) my kids-and then everything changed. I still to this day can not get ahold of Mr. Wasley. It’s been a month in half sense court in July of 2022. He never showed up for court. Never finished the final report or submitted it to the court. And I still cannot get my retainer back for services not rendered. I have sent emails, texts, and voicemails to get no reply. I was court ordered to use him thru the Jefferson county court. I have used two previous CFIs and have never had to this happen before.
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06 May, 2017 by Judy washington
Peter helped me with my paper work and he was very friendly and helpful. Thank You Peter.
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27 Mar, 2024 by Anonymous
If I could give no stars I would. He’s a fraud and scams elders! Waste of time and money. Steers you in the wrong direction but happily takes your money!
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16 Nov, 2022 by Pitrone
Rickey has done magnificent work for myself, family and friends over the last 25 years. In this age when honesty and integrity aren’t the norm Rickey has these qualities in abundance!!!
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26 Jun, 2022 by Anonymous
If I could give a 0 rating I would this man should have retired 10 years ago all he does is talk to you like you're a friend and he gives you advice but never actually helps you with your court case. He sat in on a mediation with me and talked to my sister the entire time about her living in New York and then turned around and tried to charge me thousands of dollars for it. I ended up having to complete my entire case alone with the courts. He should be disbarred if you ask me and he should give his services away for free.
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22 Dec, 2022 by M
Like the two other reviewers I too had a horrible experience with Jill Dorancy! Anyone who is dealing with narcissistic abuse and divorcing their spouse to protect themselves and most importantly their children will only find legal abuse of Jill’s authority under the color of law. I filed C.R.C.P 97 Motion for a change of Judge to the attention of Second Judicial Chief Judge. As a Black woman myself, I’m the least bit surprised Jill was/is only a “Black face” or what Malcolm X said best “House Negro” with the City and County of Denver. Know your Due Process & Constitutional Rights & Federal Keeping Families Safe Act (Kaydens Law) and most importantly 42 U.S.C. § 1983 if/when going before this actor.
ZERO star rating and displeasure that most care less to read beyond Blue Book/ voting for judges and Colorado being a State without public judicial accountability. Sadly you get a lot of culprits like Jill who campaign off of RACE and “being 1 out of 8 Black women judges in Colorado”; when Justice was/is to be “blind” and a Judge’s duty is to fairly interpret /apply the LAW…. She certainly took a lot of tips practicing oil law….
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19 Nov, 2022 by Infoispower
As a judge with going on 5 years of family court, after years fighting for Oil & Gas companies while also being on their committees, you'd think she may learn a thing or two about domestic abusers and how they function in court. Or not, but maybe that's what a background in O&G can do to you.
I went through almost the same experience as the last reviewer, and felt like she failed to recognize the abuse in the relationship despite police documents (i.e. "hearsay") and a criminal conviction. She allowed my abuser to perjure himself and use abusive litigation tactics to tear me down to the core, while I was already dealing with severe domestic assault trauma. This experience contributed to the PTSD I was already dealing with.
This judge seemed biased against me from the very beginning and perpetuated the perjury that my now ex-husband concocted for 9 months longer than necessary, only to allow him to withdraw, for no reason, his perjury/lie less than 2 weeks before our full-day divorce trial (mind you, I got assaulted by my ex on my wedding night 9 months before).
Not only that, he was let off early by the Court that convicted him, unbeknownst to me, and Judge Dorancy wouldn't even give me the Permanent Protection Order I needed (after 3 attempts to service him) - which I should have had still thhrough the criminal courts, had the system not let him off early without notifying the victim and getting their input.
This "law-abiding" judge does not factor into accounts of abuse, substance abuse, sexual abuse (I was unknowingly exposed to Hep B for 8 years), psychological abuse or other contributing factors/conditions, point blank. In other words, she lacks trauma awareness.
For her to be in this court of law is an injustice to all victims of domestic violence and narcissist abuse. She just doesn't see it or is predisposed to it.
Although she is black (which I applaud because we need more diversity in this area), she doesn't seem to consider mental health conditions, often caused by the abuser, in her judicial functioning and decision-making.
I felt discriminated by her for my mental conditions that I don't even have a choice in the matter. That my ex also contributed to significantly.
To put it lightly, I felt discriminated against from the very start while they ignored common civil procedures that I knew nothing in my trauma/continued-trauma state and used my mental health against me when I asked for additional help.
From my experience, she is unqualified to make decisions in the best interests of the people and not her pockets, own interests/views, or the behind-the-scenes games we know get played especially when there are high dollars are at stake.
History runs deep. If I had this judge, I would ask for another (which I did, and was denied). You are in your own best interest.
Judge Dorancy seems very biased towards a lot of things including lawyers she claims to have never worked with although the relationship seems very "chummy" whose motions are accepted in short order (while mine are denied or delayed). If you can change judges on your divorce matters, they never said it didn't hurt to try.
TL/DR: Hire a powerful attorney with this judge and don't try to self-represent. She does not have your best interests at heart and barely cares to hear your story and apply compassion while maintaining her judicial obligations. You need someone else to challenge her back; she does not respect pro-se litigation.
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10 Jun, 2021 by Nawal
Jill was my judge for my court case. She was put on my case for god knows why. I am finally a single mother of two and I’m trying to get full custody of my kids. I’m also still trying to get away from my abusive narcissistic ex husband and get my kids somewhere safe. I had proof of everything my ex was doing to me and my kids and I had proof from all the 6 years I was with him plus stuff that happened after I was able to divorce him. I was doing all of this on my own and I was trying so hard to show Jill how he is as a person. Jill did not listen to me one bit. I even had witnesses to testify and she didn’t believe anyone. My ex had nothing, just his words. In my last case before she closed my case without telling me, when I was testifying she kept rubbing her eyes and the bridge of her nose, she was swaying side to side in her chair and basically acting like I was annoying and she didn’t want to hear what I had to say. She probably thought I was just an angry ex wife trying to get back at my ex husband for hurting me. That’s not the case. When my ex testified she sat up straight and listened to what he had to say. All he kept saying was “I love my kids” “I take them out and we have fun.” I had police reports that I bought to show the judge that I had to call the cops on him multiple times. I had proof that he followed me from my job to a near by park after I left him because he was so jealous and thought I was doing things I shouldn’t be. I had to call some co workers and the cops just because I didn’t feel safe, and Jill still didn’t do anything and I did not get full custody of my kids. Jill is a horrible judge. She is being biased toward me. She is the reason my kids will still have to live through this trauma. I’m still going to fight for custody but Jill doesn’t deserve to be on the family law bench also since all she knows is oil.
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24 Jan, 2022 by Anonymous
He was awful. He failed to do what his job was. Wouldn't answer calls emails and missed court hearings and had excuses out the rear. He made promises to do things that he failed to do. This was a horrible experience with him on my case. You pay him and he'll be ontop of it for a few days and then falls off completely. It's sad he practices law like this. He's suppose to be fighting for people and he just brushes them off. It's very sad! Don't use this lawyer.
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18 Mar, 2021 by Anonymous
Our first 12:30pm meeting with Mr Musselman he showed up 45 minutes late with no excuse. He seemed disorganized, unrested, and un apologetic. He pulled it together at the initial meeting so we wrote him a check. Then he ghosted us for the next 33 days with the odd text message at 4am and a message we needed to get a lot of paperwork ready in the next 3 hours. 3 hours??? He disappeared for 33 days. Do not hire this guy.
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22 Jul, 2013 by Paula
She denied all my witnesses before trial but she granted all my ex-husbands witnesses. She denied, struck and ignored any of my motions, but she granted all my ex-husbands motions. She gave 100% of the Marital property acquired during of the marriage to my ex-husband, 100% of the Marital home, 100% of the Marital Vehicle, 100% of the Marital Retirement Money, 100% of the Furniture and household goods, she denied my maintenance, I could not afford to myself a lawyer after spending 12k in lawyer but she wrote orders asking me to pay almost 100% of my ex-husband attorney fees (after she gave 100% of the Marital Property acquired during the marriage using all his evidences and witnesses but denying all my witnesses and ignoring all my evidences.
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01 Apr, 2024 by Anonymous
Ms Roche was hired to do a CFI investigation as part of my divorce. Ms Roche issued a final product that seems to show her bias towards the mother as a second investigation was completed by another CFI investigator and a completely different conclusion about the mother and the child's best interest was reached.
As part of the process, Ms. Roche provided her workpapers/notes. The quality of her workpapers/notes was on par with a D- high school student. It took asking Ms Roche three times if what she provided was complete because it was obvious there had to be more workpapers/notes she was not providing. It appears Ms. Roche ultimately never did completely provide the workpaper/notes she was requested to provide. My attorney said in his experience, he had never seen something so unprofessional as workpapers/notes go. Ms. Roche routinely missed deadlines and had always had excuses. I would not recommend Ms Roche is hired in any circumstances and especially if it is part of a CFI investigation.
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14 Oct, 2014 by Anonymous
I have worked with 4 lawyers over my time so I am not new to the legal realm. Rick represented me in family court. While he is knowledgeable, he will defer nearly all work to two people under him, in the end costing you $400-600/hr, not the $350 he leads you to believe. When said and done you will be given poor legal advice from his associates as he himself is hard to find. They will over communicate with not only you but opposing council then over charge you at every turn. Lastly, he will file motions without your approval. When instructed NOT to file he will do so, claiming it's not in your best interest, only prolonging your case and increasing his fees. Steer clear of Rick and his associates.
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22 Mar, 2023 by Anonymous
Words can’t describe how disappointed we are with the practices of this Judge! Because of her dereliction of duty, she has ignored 76 pages of CFI reports, and she has put my daughter's life in danger. She is not a person much less a qualified judge. She disregards the lives of people and the hard work of investigators who serve the public.
My daughter's life is in danger because she was to lazy to read CFI reports and my daughter's school and friends' letters. Everyone wants my daughter to come back home, but this unqualified judge just send my daughter to a absiver's hand.
I will be following up with more disputes shortly..
Shame on you judge!
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19 Nov, 2021 by Stacy clark
Their phone receptionist is rude.
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers
What a Family Law Lawyer Can Do for You
A family law lawyer provides legal services related to family relationships, including marriage, divorce, child custody, and adoption. Family lawyers help clients navigate emotionally charged legal issues, providing guidance and representation in disputes that affect spouses, children, and parents. Whether you're going through a divorce, seeking custody of your children, or drafting a prenuptial agreement, a family law lawyer ensures your rights are protected and your interests are represented.
Family law attorneys often handle sensitive matters and offer objective legal advice, helping clients reach fair outcomes either through negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
When Should I Hire a Family Law Lawyer?
Hiring a family law lawyer is beneficial in several situations, especially when legal matters involve close personal relationships. Common reasons to hire a family law lawyer include:
- Divorce or separation: When ending a marriage, a lawyer can help you navigate issues such as division of assets, spousal support, and child custody arrangements.
- Child custody and visitation disputes: If you and your co-parent can't agree on custody or visitation, a lawyer can represent your interests and work toward a solution that benefits your children.
- Child support: Whether you’re seeking child support or defending against a claim, a lawyer can help ensure the appropriate amount is calculated and enforced.
- Prenuptial or postnuptial agreements: A lawyer can help draft or review agreements that protect your assets in case of divorce.
- Adoption: Family law lawyers guide you through the legal process of adoption, ensuring that all requirements are met.
- Domestic violence or restraining orders: If you're a victim of domestic violence or being falsely accused, a lawyer can help you obtain or challenge protective orders.
- Paternity cases: If there are questions about the paternity of a child, a lawyer can help establish or dispute legal fatherhood.
Hiring a lawyer early can prevent issues from escalating, and they can offer you the best chance of achieving a favorable outcome in emotionally charged situations.
What Does a Family Law Lawyer Do?
A family law lawyer provides a wide range of services depending on your specific legal needs. Their responsibilities may include:
- Advising on legal rights and options: Helping you understand your legal rights regarding divorce, child custody, support, and other family law issues.
- Filing legal documents: Drafting and filing petitions, motions, and agreements with the court, such as divorce papers, custody agreements, or support orders.
- Representing clients in court: Arguing your case in front of a judge if a settlement can’t be reached through negotiation or mediation.
- Mediation and negotiation: Assisting with alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, to reach agreements on issues like custody, property division, and support without going to trial.
- Enforcing court orders: Helping you enforce court orders related to child support, alimony, or custody if the other party fails to comply.
- Drafting prenuptial or postnuptial agreements: Creating agreements that protect your assets in the event of a divorce.
- Handling adoption proceedings: Ensuring that the legal process of adoption is followed, from filing paperwork to finalizing the adoption in court.
How Are Family Law Lawyers Paid?
Family law lawyers typically charge clients in one of several ways, depending on the complexity of the case and the lawyer’s experience. Common payment arrangements include:
- Hourly rates: Most family lawyers charge by the hour, with rates varying based on experience and location. Clients are billed for the time spent working on their case, including consultations, court appearances, and document preparation.
- Flat fees: For more straightforward legal services, such as drafting a prenuptial agreement or handling an uncontested divorce, some lawyers offer flat-fee arrangements.
- Retainer fees: In cases that are expected to require significant time and attention, such as contentious custody battles, a lawyer may charge a retainer, which is an upfront payment that covers the initial costs of legal services. The lawyer then bills against the retainer as they work on your case.
The exact cost will depend on the complexity of your case and the lawyer’s fee structure, which should be discussed upfront.
How Much Does a Family Law Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a family law lawyer varies based on factors such as the lawyer's experience, the location, and the complexity of your case. Here are some general cost guidelines:
- Hourly rates: Family law lawyers typically charge between $150 and $500 per hour, depending on their experience and the complexity of the case.
- Flat fees: For simpler cases, such as drafting a prenuptial agreement or handling an uncontested divorce, fees may range from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Retainers: For more complex matters, such as contested divorces or custody battles, lawyers may charge a retainer ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 or more. The lawyer will bill against the retainer for the work they do on your case.
- Additional costs: You may also be responsible for additional costs, such as filing fees, mediation fees, or expert witness fees.
Always ask for a clear breakdown of the lawyer’s fees and any additional expenses during your consultation.
Top Questions to Ask a Family Law Lawyer
Before hiring a family law lawyer, it's important to ask questions to ensure they're the right fit for your case. Here are key questions to ask during your consultation:
-
What experience do you have with family law cases like mine?
Make sure the lawyer has experience handling cases similar to yours, whether it's a contested divorce, child custody dispute, or adoption. -
How will you charge for your services?
Clarify whether the lawyer charges by the hour, a flat fee, or requires a retainer. Ask for an estimate of the total costs involved. -
What are the possible outcomes of my case?
An experienced lawyer should be able to give you a general idea of what to expect based on the facts of your case. -
What is your approach to resolving disputes?
Ask whether the lawyer tends to favor negotiation and mediation or whether they prefer to take cases to court. This can help you determine if their style matches your goals. -
How long do you expect my case to take?
While it’s difficult to predict, the lawyer should give you an estimate based on similar cases. -
Who will be handling my case?
In larger firms, junior attorneys or paralegals may do much of the work, so make sure you understand who will be your main point of contact.
How to Check the Credibility of a Family Law Lawyer
To ensure you're hiring a reputable family law lawyer, follow these steps to verify their credentials and reputation:
- Check state bar association records: Verify that the lawyer is licensed to practice in your state and is in good standing with no disciplinary actions.
- Read client reviews and testimonials: Look for reviews on websites like Avvo, Google, or Martindale-Hubbell. Previous clients can give you insight into the lawyer’s professionalism and success in family law cases.
- Request references: Ask the lawyer for references from past clients who can speak to their experience with the lawyer.
- Review their website or professional profile: Look at the lawyer’s background, case history, and areas of focus to ensure they have substantial experience in family law.
- Look for professional memberships: Membership in reputable organizations, such as the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), can indicate a lawyer's expertise and dedication to family law.
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To get the most out of your first consultation with a family law lawyer, it’s important to come prepared. Here’s what you should bring:
- Relevant documents: Bring any documents related to your case, such as marriage certificates, prenuptial agreements, financial records, custody agreements, or court orders.
- List of assets and debts: For divorce cases, prepare a detailed list of all assets (e.g., homes, bank accounts, retirement funds) and debts (e.g., mortgages, loans, credit card balances).
- Details of the family issue: Provide a written summary of the situation, including key dates and facts related to your divorce, custody dispute, or support issue.
- Questions for the lawyer: Write down any questions you have about the legal process, costs, and potential outcomes.
- Your goals: Be prepared to discuss your objectives, such as custody arrangements, property division, or spousal support, so the lawyer understands your priorities.
Being organized and clear about your situation will help the lawyer evaluate your case more effectively and offer the best advice for moving forward.
