When I walked into Paul Fromson's office about two years ago, I was dealing with a very difficult…read morechild custody case with a person set on preventing contact at any cost. I was confused about my rights, the options available to me, and how I could possibly stand a chance in a system many men and women agree still favors one parent over the other. From the moment I retained Mr. Fromson, I knew I made the correct decision, and would like to provide fathers in a similar situation with some hope about what you can do to fight back for your children.
First off, men; you have rights as a parent. Knowing your rights and how to make the most of them is something Mr. Fromson intricately understands from decades of experience working in family law. He will not let you waive these rights, or let give negotiate them away because you're hoping the other parent might come to their senses and become more amicable to your position. To this point, his exceptional knowledge of the system has yielded nothing but positive results from my perspective. Every time the other parent violated the court order, his office was expedient in ensuring they were held accountable. Every time this parent started playing games, he knew exactly how to get them to stop. I imagine I am hardly done dealing with the other parent's disruptive behavior, as I have a long way to go still before my child is an adult, but I know he and his whole team will be there through it all.
On that note, let it be known I think the world of everyone in his office. They have made and my child and me feel like part of their family, and I have never doubted they are genuinely impacted by the results, especially when the courts appear slow to react. This whole team has been there through every triumph and every setback, and I imagine them seeing me go through every roadblock possible to be involved in my child's life also impacts them greatly. Empathy is a must in this field considering you (as the client) want someone you are working with to also care about the most important thing in the world to you... and I believe they absolutely do.
As far as accessibility; he returns 100% of my calls the same day. I do not believe any review that suggest otherwise. He is prompt to hearings and provides regular updates between hearings if anything relevant occurs. He will disclose to you at the initial consultation that he falls on the higher end of retainers, but from my experience there is a clear reason why (cheaper options are not better). Most child custody cases will go on for some time; so, do not expect a low initial retainer to last, especially through a high conflict case. I wanted to address one complaint I read about him not listening to a laundry list of your issues; well, that's not his job. He is a lawyer who will tell you what you need to do to get the best results for your case. If you want to talk about every comment your ex made during your relationship, go see a counselor. When you have a consultation, leave your feelings at the door, and bring documentation.
On that note; you remain the best tool for a successful court hearing. Showing up late, looking like you just rolled out of bed, or violating the court order because you think it's not fair, is not going help... even with a lawyer. Keeping diligent logs of visits, photos of the other parent showing up late to exchanges, and police reports when appropriate is how you get what you're looking for. Still, after more than two years and a lot of hearings, I am thrilled to say I have majority of the custody of my child, and I have Mr. Fromson and his team to thank for that.
In closing, if you are a new single parent trying to figure out how to stop the other parent from abusing your rights, and damaging the relationship you should be having with your child... retain a family lawyer. And if this lengthy review is any indication of my recommendation, you should start by calling Paul Fromson first.
