.
. >>
. >> THIS
. >> THIS SEGMENT IS SPONSORED BY SEAN COOK.
LAW4@ IS SO YOU'VE GOT A FAMILY
SITUATION AND YOU'RE THINKING
YOU NEED THE HELP OF AN EXPERT.
SITUATION AND YOU'RE THINKING YOU NEED THE HELP OF AN EXPERT.@ BUT HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT
LAWYER WHO'S GOING TO BE THERE
FOR YOU AND HAVE YOUR BEST
INTERESTS IN MIND?
ATTORNEY SEAN COOK IS HERE TO
HELP TO ANSWER ALL OF THOSE
QUESTIONS.
HI, SEAN.
HEY, GOOD MORNING.
HOW ARE YOU, CATHERINE?
I AM WELL, THANK4@ YOU SO MUCH
FOR HELPING US SORT THROUGH ALL
OF THIS.
WHAT KIND OF LAW DO YOU
PRACTICE4@ AND WHAT DOES THAT
ENTAIL?
WELL, PERSONALLY I PRACTICE
ALMOST ALL FAMILY LAW.
WE HAVE ANOTHER ATTORNEY IN OUR
OFFICE WHO DOES A LOT OF
CRIMINAL DEFENSE4@.
THE FAMILY LAW KIND OF COVERS
THE GAMUT OF ANYTHING THAT4@
IMPACTS FAMILIES AS THEY'RE
GOING THROUGH DIVORCE OR
CUSTODY. 4@
ALL THE ISSUES THAT COME UP
WITH T4@HAT.
EVEN SOME ESTATE ISSUES4@
SOMETIMES REAL ESTATE ALL OF
THAT KIND OF IS IMPACTED WITHIN@
THE CONTEXT OF FAMILY LAW. 4@4@
AND THEN THERE'S ADOPTION
GUARDIANSHIP.
SO IT'S A PRETTY BIG SPAN THERE
.
VERY BROAD.
YEAH.
I UNDERSTAND YOU CALL YOURSELF
THE GOOD WITCH OF LAW.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND WHY YOU
CA4@LL YOURSELF THAT?
WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS
.
WELL, THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS .4@ FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU HAVE A
NAME SPELLED S.A. JOE AND YOU
KIND4@ IDENTIFY YOURSELF AS A
FEMALE S4@OMEHOW SO USUALLY4@ WH
MEANS THAT4@ ALSO I KIND OF
WANTED THE CONNOTATION.
YOU KNOW HOW POWERFUL THE LAW
IS.
AND I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS KIND
OF THAT MAGICAL4@ ASPECT THAT
GOES WITH THE CONCEPT OF A
WITCH.
BUT I ALSO WANTED4@ THE IDEA TO
COME ACROSS THAT AS POWERFUL AS
THE LAW IS4@ THAT THERE ARE GOOD
THINGS THAT CAN COME OF IT.
IF WE USE IT IN THE RIGHT WAY
AND TO MAXIMIZE OUR CLIENTS
RESOLUTION.
YEAH, NICE.
HOW DOES A PERSON KNOW WHEN
IT'S TIME TO SEEK THE HELP OF
AN ATTORNEY?
YES.
SO I THINK OF IT MORE KIND OF
IN THE CONTEXT OF DIVORCE OR
CUSTODY.
YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THAT IN OTHER
MATTERS I THINK A LOT OF THE
SAME PRINCIPLES APPLY.
SO HERE'S THE CONCEPT NUMBER
ONE, I THINK YOU HAVE TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT THE ISSUES THAT ARE
IN FRONT OF YOU IF YOU'RE
DEALING WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD
DISPUTE THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING
WHERE YOU KNOW YOU CAN GO
MEDIATE IT OR YOU MIGHT BE ABLE
TO FILE4@ SMALL CLAIMS ACTION LT
LESS COMPL4@EX IF YOU'RE4@ DEALG
WITH A DIVORCE THAT'S4@ A SHORT
TERM4@ DIVORCE.
NOT A LOT OF ISSUES.
MAYBE THERE ARE CHILDREN MAYBE
YOU DIDN'T DEVELOP A LOT OF
ASSETS IN A SHORT PERIOD TIME
AND MAYBE SOMETHING YOU CAN DO
ON YOUR OWN AND THERE'S FORMS
THAT ARE PROVIDED4@ SELF-HELP
CENTERS.
BUT IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH
MAYBE IN THE LONG TERM MARRIAGE
YOU'RE DEALING WITH ISSUES
PERHAPS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR
EMOTIONAL ABUSE.
YOU'RE DEALING WITH ISSUES OF
HIGH ASSETS OR INEQUITABLE
FINANCIAL POWER THAT MIGHT BE A
TIME IN WHICH YOU NEED4@ TO TALK
TO AN ATTORNEY JUST TO KIND OF
GET AN IDEA OF4@ WHAT THE OPTIOS
ARE AND WHAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO HELP YOU THROUGH.
I ALSO THINK THE PERSONALITY OF
THE PERSON IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT4@.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU ARE A
PERSON WHO IS IN4@ CREDIBLY
STRONG CAN KIND OF SEPARATE
EMOTION FROM4@ THE PROCESS AND N
HOW YOU GET THROUGH SOMETHING4@
AS AWESOME YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE
GONE THROUGH DIVORCE ARE GOING
STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
YEAH FOR SURE.
THE PERSONALITY IS AN IMPORTANT
ASPECT TOO.
>> SO HOW DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT
LAWYER4@ FOR FOR THE JOB AT H4@D
?
YEAH.
? YEAH.
? YEAH. SO I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE START
WITH REFERRALS4@ AND IT'S A
DIFFICULT CONCEPT.
GREAT ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE
GOING THROUGH SOMETHING SUPER
PERSONAL.
THE IDEA OF TALKING WITH
SOMEONE ABOUT4@ SAYING OK WHO DO
YOU RECOMMEND MIGHT FEEL
AWKWARD.
YEAH.
AWKWARD. YEAH. BUT IT ALSO IS THE BEST WAY
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE
GONE THROUGH4@ A DIVORCE OR SOME
DIFFICULT FAMILY ISSUES.
AND SO YOU WANT SOMEONE THAT
THEY CONNECTED WITH THAT THEY
FELT COMFORTABLE WITH OR SOME
AND YOU WANT TO AVOID THE
PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW.
YOU ALSO4@ CAN USE THE
TRADITIONAL SEARCH METHODS.
I MEAN WE CAN GET ONLINE AND
YOU CAN GOOGLE4@.
YOU CAN LOOK AT RATINGS.
THE ONLY THING IS THEY TELL
PEOPLE BE CAREFUL OF SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE
THERE BECAUSE JUST LIKE ANY4@
KIND OF SOCIAL MEDIA THERE ARE
THINGS THAT ARE PLANTED
SOMETIMES BY PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNHAPPY BECAUSE THEY LOST A
CASE AGAINST THAT ATTORNEY,
SOMETIMES JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE
KIND OF FISHING THROUGH SERVERS@
AND KIND OF PLANTING WEIRD
INFORMATION.
SO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KIND OF
DO YOUR RESEARCH. 4@
OK.
SO YOU DO THE RESEARCH AND THEN
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION
ABOUT WHICH ONE YOU HIRE.
HELP US GET THE4@ WELL, I THINK
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO MEET WITH
SEVERAL PEOPLE IF YOU CAN.
4@I THINK THE TOUGHEST THING IS
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A
DIVORCE OR A FAMILY MATTER IS
YOU'RE YOU'RE WITH THAT
ATTORNEY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME4@.
SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK
TO THAT ATTORNEY AND
COMMUNICATE WELL AND THAT
TO THAT ATTORNEY AND COMMUNICATE WELL AND THAT4@ ATTORNEY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE WITH YOU.
YOU NEED TO HAVE SOME COMFORT
AND YOU NEED TO HAVE AN IDEA4@ F
WHAT'S THE EXPERIENCE OF THIS
PERSON.
AND WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO ME
IN THIS CONSULTATION, ARE THEY
TELLING ME ONLY WHAT I WANT
HERE OR ARE THEY GIVING ME OK?
HERE ARE SOME FOLKS HERE, SOME
CONS4@, SOME THINGS WE CAN DO.
HERE'S ALL OF OUR OPTIONS THAT
I SEE RIGHT NOW WITH THIS MIGHT
CHANGE DOWN THE ROAD.
ALL RIGHT.
SOME GOOD ADVICE.
4@THANK YOU, SEAN.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO
CONNECT WITH SEAN