One of the most difficult tasks for someone going through a divorce or legal family issues is selecting an attorney. There are many attorneys that represent themselves as the best family law attorney, best family law lawyer, best divorce lawyer, or best divorce attorney in the state or county where one resides. “Best” is all relative and while there are many good practitioners in the State of New Jersey, there are also many, in my opinion, less than adequate ones. In this day and age any attorney will take a divorce case no matter what their skill because of the need of income. For instance, there are a few attorneys whose websites state “best family law attorney” or “best divorce lawyer” in Springfield, New Jersey simply for purposes of their website and to achieve a higher ranking or visibility in a particular search engine. I will not discuss in this article the ethical quagmire for them doing so, however, be very careful when selecting a lawyer. Your Divorce or Family Law Lawyer/Attorney will be with you for the long haul and you want someone that understands you and who you can relate to in these difficult and trying times. You must be able to relate to your attorney and the personal relationship between a client and attorney is key.
Under no uncertain terms, you must meet with your prospective attorney for either a free or paid consultation. Personal face to face consultation is necessary to gauge whether you and the attorney are a “right fit.” Some attorneys do give what is called a “first time,” or free consultation, but in reality it is only an initial meet and greet. A great number of attorneys, who solely practice family law or divorce law, do charge a consultation fee. In most instances, it is a flat rate no matter how much time you use. Just remember you get what you pay for.
Check with friends, family, and relatives, for recommendations; Also, search the internet, and elsewhere, so you can educate yourself on what type of attorney you specifically need for your job. For instance, there are some attorneys that do not know how to handle abduction matters, or what are called “Hague Convention” matters even if they might say they do, or say that they specialize in Family or Divorce Law. In addition, there are many attorneys that will only travel a set distance and only practice either within their County or in a close proximity. This can be seen as a positive as they will be more focused on their local clients. For example, a Denver Family Attorney would only work in the city of Denver and so would be more accessible, which is comforting to clients. This is something you should inquire with your prospective attorney. On the other hand, there are many firms, and attorneys, that go all over the State. As long as the attorney is familiar with the Judges and County where your case will be brought, and is known in that venue, there should be no issue. Some attorneys will tell you that they are a “local” so they will receive “special treatment,” but technically that is not allowed and is not the case anymore; moreover, in my experience yes it sometimes is easier to contact people (because you have all the telephone numbers of staff and judges), but rarely does it make a big difference. If an attorney knows the law, is up on and familiar with the facts of the case, prepares, and acts diligently, it should not matter where your attorney’s office is located.
Gourvitz & Gourvitz practices in every County in the State of New Jersey, and New York, New York. We appear in Essex, Union, Bergen, Hudson, Warren, Somerset, Sussex, Morris, Middlesex, and Monmouth County on a routine basis. Many of our client’s come from all over the World as a significant amount of our practice is dedicated to abduction and international custody matters in addition to high asset divorce or family law matters. Our offices are located in Springfield, New Jersey, and New York, New York. Our New Jersey office is minutes away from the neighboring towns of Milburn, Short Hills, Livingston, Union, Summit, Chatham, Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Elizabeth, Newark, and others.
Experience is key and you want an attorney that practices mostly in the arena you need the attorney to practice or specialize, i.e. Custody. You also want an attorney that has multiple cases a year, and over the years, in the subject and not just one; you need an attorney with the expertise needed-an expert in the field or specialization. Inquire during your consultation as to how many cases your prospective attorney handles in the areas such as: Custody, Visitation, Alimony, Palimony, Spousal Support, Child Support, Parenting Time, Visitation, Equitable Distribution of assets and debts, Emancipation, LGBTQA Issues, Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, High Net Worth Cases, High Asset, Modification cases, Uncontested cases, etc…
When choosing an attorney, don’t just select the attorney who has the most experience based on the sheer number of cases successfully handled, but you also want an attorney that will give you the personal hands on that is needed for your particular matter and has the time for your case. Too many times cases are transferred to me midway through and one of the primary reasons that a client “jumps ship” is that they feel like they are just a number and are not given the special attention that a case needs. It shocks me to hear that attorneys do not return client’s calls, take days to get back to them, or send a one line email to answer an extremely important question. At Gourvitz & Gourvitz LLC no question is “stupid” and no question goes unanswered. All telephone calls and inquires are returned promptly and the same day if received prior to closing except in extenuating circumstances. You also want an attorney who is willing to go the extra mile and give you even more one on one time to ensure that you fully understand what is transpiring and what is needed to successfully conclude your matter.
As a general rule, general practice firms do not have the resources of a law firm dedicated only to Divorce and Family Law and are not usually up to date on what “usually” happens in a particular case. Reading a rule, statute, or case, is not the same as having handled many matters on the subject and have seen these rules, statutes, or cases, utilized in Court and in practice. Our firm’s lawyers know what to do, what to expect, and the best strategies to meet clients’ goals and needs. They concentrate all their efforts practicing exclusively in their particular area of practice and you should confirm that your prospective lawyer does the same.
Whatever your Family Law or Divorce Law needs are in New Jersey or New York, Gourvitz & Gourvitz can handle your matter from either it’s offices in Springfield, New Jersey or New York, New York.
