The Custody Puzzle
Custody Cases Heard, Understood and Appreciated by the Guardian ad Litem and Judge
Custody cases are like jigsaw puzzles with hundreds of pieces. Some pieces are bigger and more important than others. Some may be missing. Others may be damaged, and in need of repair. Putting the puzzle pieces together to create the big custody picture of what is in the best interests of the children can often be a challenge.
As a Custody Litigation Consultant, I become a member of your litigation team. Using the skills and knowledge I have collected over the years, my goal is to provide you and your clients with the highest quality support to build and complete the custody puzzle picture that you want the Guardian ad Litem to recommend, and the Judge to accept.
An independent custody assessment consult with you and your client may reassure a fearful or doubting client, and validate your approach to the case. Strategic planning sessions, especially in damage control situations, may spark a new angle to your client’s case that has not yet occurred to you. Think about it. We get second opinions from specialists when our doctor tells us something that rocks us to the core. And, then we build the best team of doctors possible to bring us back to health. Your client’s custody case is no different.
Your time is valuable. And, the sensitive issues involved in custody cases are stressful for everybody, especially in high-conflict cases with unruly parties and unreasonable opposing counsel. We’ve all been there! You make the best of your time, and you create a healthy balance in your life, by building a good litigation team to support you and your clients.
A Custody Litigation Consultant is an added tool to your litigation toolbox that enhances your client’s custody case. Clients appreciate the one-on-one support they get as they navigate their way through the unfamiliar territory of custody litigation. Attorneys appreciate that I help to minimize the litigation-related stress not only for them, but also for their clients.
Outsourcing to a 29 year veteran of custody litigation assures that your client gets the individualized service he/she deserves, while you have more time to focus on other aspects of the case, and on other opportunities, including time off with the family. This is true whether you are a solo practitioner, or a member of a law firm with other attorneys who work on your cases. And, custody litigation services are cost effective for both the attorney, and the client.
The State Bar of Georgia and the American Bar Association have long recognized the benefits of outsourcing. See, for example, Advisory Opinion 22 and Formal Advisory Opinion 05-09. Of course, the buck stops with the outsourcing attorney. Thus, as a Custody Litigation Consultant on your litigation team, I work closely with you, under your direction and with your approval, to further the client’s litigation goals in the most effective and cost efficient manner possible. Communications and work are protected by attorney-client confidentiality, and the work-product doctrine.
- Almost 30 years of involvement in hundreds of child custody cases.
- Unique perspective of a Guardian ad Litem.
- Committed to prioritizing the best interests of the children
- Sensible and practical, yet creative, with an ability to “think outside of the box” in complex cases.
- Understanding of special circumstances that may affect custody considerations, such as special needs of the children and/or parents, and cultural issues.
- Compassionate, attentive and a good listener.
- Matters are handled in a cost-effective and skilled manner.
- An added layer of comfort and trust between you and your client.
- A second set of eyes and ears, and an attention to detail. Sometimes two heads are better than one.
- Support throughout the litigation process for both the attorney and the client.
- Allows you to focus on what you do best and enjoy the most, and relieves you of the stress resultant from custody cases, busy schedules and heavy caseloads.
- Peace of mind.