Has your lawyer failed to communicate with you, so that you don’t know what’s going on in your case? Has he or she misused your funds, or failed to bill you?

We can help you determine whether you need to fire your lawyer, and find a new one.

Is your lawyer too timid to stand up for your rights? For example, does he or she stay silent letting the other side dictate the narrative, or is too afraid to make objections for fear of irritating the judge? Is your lawyer unprepared for the hearings?

It’s a very big deal to switch lawyers mid-stream because the new lawyer doesn’t know your case or the facts, and it can be very a costly process to pay a new lawyer to familiarize himself or herself with your case.

We can give you strategies for how to give the lawyer a chance to correct any problems, and to give the lawyer a chance to see how he or she responds to you, when you point out needed improvement.

We can help you draft effective letters to get your lawyer to respond to you.

We can help you determine whether it’s time to cut free from your lawyer and get back on track with a new lawyer.

We can help you preserve your rights when you terminate your attorney, and how to get your file to the new attorney you hire.

We can help you avoid common client mistakes.

If you are involved with a high-stakes case, such as a divorce, you may feel you have lost your perspective. Maybe you’re angry and are letting your emotions dictate your choices. Maybe you don’t have any goals. Maybe you wonder whether you should just do nothing — and let the process unfold without any strategy and goals.

Many women think that if the judge hears their side of the story and how the other side caused all the problems, the judge will resolve it in your favor. As lawyers know, it doesn’t work that way. Judges often are just looking for a way out — either through pressuring you and your spouse to settle — or “splitting the baby down the middle.” They may do that because they’re attempting to be fair and reach a compromise, especially when evidence isn’t overwhelmingly on one side or when the parties are at a stalemate. It’s often seen as a way to avoid the risk of a trial and find a middle ground that both parties can live with.

Sometimes the judge will pressure the parties and lawyers to work it out themselves. This might not be realistic, if one side is not reasonable, but judges may apply this tactic even deliberately. Then when it can’t be worked out between the lawyers and parties, the judge may show irritation or bully the weaker side — to get that side to capitulate, in order to bring the case to an end. I’ve seen this in some cases and it is infuriating but there’s nothing the lawyer can do about it.

Also, in some specific types of cases, judges may hand off a significant part of the investigation and analysis to a third party, such as a court evaluator, and then largely adopt that person’s recommendations. This practice is sometimes pejoratively called “rubber-stamping” the decision. I have seen this in a lot of cases, sometimes with tragic results.

In a contested divorce, the court system is not designed to protect you. The reality, as experts like myself and other experts like Lundy Bancroft have detailed, the legal system often fails women and their children. In so-called “high-conflict” cases, which are really often child endangerment and domestic abuse cases mischaracterized as “high conflict,” a powerful or abusive spouse can weaponize the very system meant to provide justice. Much like a figure of power who gets their way because the system is not equipped to hold them accountable, an abuser can manipulate the court process, drain financial resources, and wear down their former partner — leaving women feeling trapped and unsafe. This is not a failure of the woman, but a failure of a system that prioritizes a “level playing field” that, in reality, is stacked against her.

My consultations are designed to help you regain control. I provide the knowledge and strategy you need to understand the “game” being played. We will examine your case, identify the tactics being used against you, and build a proactive plan to secure the best possible outcome. You and your children deserve to be safe and protected, and that begins with understanding how the system works and how to use that knowledge to your advantage.