Let’s be clear, if you have been charged with a crime or expect to be, you need to consult with an attorney. DO NOT DISCUSS YOUR CASE WITH ANYONE UNTIL YOU SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY. That attorney does not have to be me, but I urge you to consult with another experienced criminal defense attorney, especially one that is familiar with the court you will be going to. The laws, procedures, rules of evidence, constitutional protections, and the various diversionary programs or alternative sentencing available are complex and difficult for a lay person to navigate. Criminal charges mean your very freedom may be threatened and a criminal conviction may haunt you for years to come.I have been fighting for criminal defendants in Connecticut for 20 years. I have spent many hours working with State’s Attorney’s and court staff in Manchester, Rockville, Hartford, Hartford, New Britain, Middletown and other courts. My job is not only to collect evidence and do the legal research to get you the best result possible, it is also to explain what you can do to help us achieve the best result.Whether you are charged with domestic violence, larceny, assault, DUI/DWI, drug possession, breach of peace, or any other crime, there are numerous diversionary programs and alternative sentences that may help you get the result you want. Which of these programs to use is a decision that must be made carefully with the knowledge of how each choice will affect you in the future.I urge to not be too quick to apply for one of these diversionary programs. You and your attorney must first work hard to see if you can have your criminal charges disposed of without using a program. That way, if something happens in the future, all of these programs will still be available to you.
Every divorce involves serious issues of finances, support, alimony, taxes, pensions and savings, health insurance, and much more. Parents with minor children have far more to consider; including the long term well being of their children. Like many attorney’s whose work I respect, I consider myself a ‘family first’ attorney. It is impossible to completely shield your child or children from the disruption of divorce, but we can help minimize the damage that a divorce causes. After a divorce, you and your previous spouse are no longer a couple, but you will forever be co-parents.I am a licensed guardian ad litem, which means I have gone through training to learn to keep the best interests of children front and center in the divorce process. As your attorney, I can help you and your spouse do the same. There are many resources available to help us meet your children’s interests and emotional well-being. These resources include family relations professionals employed by the courts, guardian ad litems, and mental health professionals. Many of these professionals can assist with little cost to you and may, quite likely, not only spare your children unnecessary pain, but, in the long run, save time and attorney’s fees by helping us create a fair parenting plan without an unreasonable amount of time fighting in court. After all, you as parents know your children best. Do not leave these decisions to a judge that has never met your children.I suspect that when you and your partner chose to have children your hope was to provide a safe, nurturing, and loving home for them and to provide them with an example of how loving parents raise a family. When you decide to divorce or separate, you can still make the commitment to continue to provide a loving and nurturing environment to you children, even if it is one where their parents live apart. It is difficult, but you now have the opportunity to provide an example to your children of how loving and mature parents separate or divorce while still providing the best parenting they can to their children. It is my job, and my privilege, to apply my knowledge and experience to help you do that.
I will not waste your time or the court’s time. I have often seen couples spend thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees arguing about who takes possession of an old used living room set worth only a few hundred dollars. This may serve to make money for attorneys, but it does no good for either of the parties involved.Being reasonable does not mean accepting an unreasonable or unfair outcome. Every divorce can involve many trips to court, many hearings, and many small battles. I would ask you, as my client, to not focus on the tiny short-term battles, but to think about where you want to be in a few years when the divorce is long finished. Being fair and reasonable does not mean that you will never battle with your spouse in court; it means knowing when you have to and to do so with as little collateral damage as possible.
Family Law includes divorce and dissolution and custody issues for married or non-married parents. Make no mistake, divorce actions are can be very difficult and trying, both emotionally and financially. I can never make the process easy or painless, but I can work with you to minimize the pain, cost, and time. How successful we are is dependent on you, your spouse and your spouse’s attorney. We have little control over what your spouse does or what advice, good or bad, their attorney gives them, but we have absolute control over how we present your case to the court, judges, family relations, mediators, guardian lighitems, and all other professionals involved in the process.