HOW TO HAVE A
WORRY-FREE DIVORCE
This area of the law, perhaps more than any other, requires understanding, patience, compassion and sage counseling on the part of an attorney. It's clearly the most emotionally charged realm, as anyone who's gone through a divorce or child custody proceeding can attest, and psychologists generally agree the divorce experience is one of the most traumatic (often second only to the death of a loved one) an individual will undergo in a lifetime. Depression, fear, anger, despair and anxiety are all emotions participants commonly find themselves struggling to cope with, and when children are involved, adding custody and parenting time concerns, the stress is sometimes overwhelming. In short, divorce can be an extremely difficult and intimidating affair and why one's choice of a legal representative should be made most carefully.
There are essentially three things anyone contemplating divorce must look for in a potential advocate. First and foremost, of course, is experience. There's simply no substitute for it.
I've handled divorce, post-divorce, child custody and child support cases for more than 25 years now, successfully representing, in roughly equal numbers, both men and women. While most divorce actions are ultimately settled (estimates are generally in the 90% range), I've spent considerable time litigating cases, achieving equally satisfying results in the courtroom. I've taught family law courses for students seeking a paralegal degree and spoken to various groups of divorced and/or separated individuals. I've even acted as a mediator (an important role) in divorce proceedings, which has afforded me valuable additional training and skill in this area of the law.
So, as you can see, when it comes to the crucial issue of experience, mine is both varied and extensive.
Experience counts for little, however, if an attorney is often unavailable to meet with clients or even take their phone calls. Which brings us to the second thing to look for when choosing a divorce lawyer: accessibility.
As a long-time practicing attorney, I know how important this is to someone involved in a family law action. That's why, throughout my career, I've made it a priority to always be readily available to those I represent, personally returning every phone call promptly and being more than willing to meet with them as often as necessary. Furthermore, once I've been retained as the attorney of record, my clients can rest assured their case won't then be turned over to anyone else. From that point on, they'll continue to receive the full attention, advice and services of Jerry A. Schatz -- not paralegals or younger, less experienced lawyers. It's something they have every right to expect and something they can absolutely count on.
Lastly, we come to what I like to call bedside manner. Professional hand-holding, if you will. Like a good physician, a good divorce attorney knows how helpful a patient, compassionate bedside manner can be if he hopes to allay the anxieties (everything from "What will a divorce cost?" to "Can I get used to being single again?") of someone contemplating or going through a divorce.
In order to most effectively alleviate such worries, the attorney must always try to place himself, as much as possible, in his client's shoes. For me, that's not difficult. A divorcé myself, I understand fully what the individual is thinking and feeling, his or her questions and concerns, and am thus able to provide counsel in a more empathetic and meaningful way.
So there you have it. A brief look at the resumé of Jerry A. Schatz. Hopefully it'll give you some idea of why, in 25-plus years as a divorce attorney, I've been able to compile a track record of which I'm understandably proud and an impressive list of satisfied clients. In the end, it comes down to my ability to afford those clients the three requisites we've talked about and every successful divorce lawyer must bring to the table: experience, accessibility, a patient and reassuring bedside manner.
With that in mind, allow me to offer a suggestion. If you're an individual contemplating divorce, or facing a custody or support situation, before you do anything else, do this. Call my office today and schedule a free personal consultation. I'm confident I can convince you that, with the right attorney as an advocate, 'divorce' doesn't have to be a scary word.