If divorce is in your future, one of your first and most important tasks will be to choose a qualified family law attorney. At this stressful time, it’s important to select a lawyer you feel you can really trust, urges Julia M. Garwood, a San Diego County family law attorney and mediator. "In the same way marriage should be based on trust, so should your relationship with your attorney," she explains. "It's a two-way street: you have to feel comfortable with your attorney, and he or she has to feel comfortable with you. I treat my client like my sister, my brother, myself... and that’s the kind of attorney you want to find." Retaining a legal professional who is also a Certified Family Law Specialist provides you with additional assurances during this emotionally stressful time, she adds. This designation tells you that the individual you’ve selected to assist you with the dissolution of your marriage has met the rigorous standards set by the California State Bar for education, experience, and knowledge in the field.

Ms. Garwood is a Certified Family Law Specialist who has worked in the field of family law for more than 25 years. She is also a former adjunct professor at a local law school, where she taught professional responsibility to future lawyers. "I've seen it all," she says. "I know what’s reasonable. I know the judges, and I know how they’re going to react to a case. Many of them also trust me to such an extent that they know if I'm putting something in front of them to sign, they can feel comfortable doing so because I’m not going to give them something that's unacceptable." As an acting settlement judge and an attorney who is often chosen by the courts to represent minor children, Ms. Garwood knows how she herself would rule. Seeing the case through the eyes of a judge, she says, helps plan her cases.

"My spouse just asked me for a divorce. What should I do first?" "I am just starting my divorce. Can you give me your best tips?" "Who should consider using Collaborative Divorce?" "Will it affect my divorce if I date other people?" "Who shouldn't use mediation? Can it work for couples who argue a lot, for instance?"

Contact Julia M. Garwood, CFLS 1450 Frazee Road, Suite 602 San Diego, CA 92108 Phone: (619) 692-8100 Fax: (619) 692-1050 www.GarwoodFamilyLaw.com Julia@GarwoodFamilyLaw.com

Ms. Garwood offers her clients a unique blend of experience, knowledge, and intuition. At the initial consultation, she typically first asks a client if they have any major issues they'd like to talk about. They may bring up the most important issue, or they may say "No, I just want to learn about my options." Ms. Garwood goes through the client’s assets and explores any issues that may exist with regards to the children -- then she tells them what they can expect. She uses this time with her client to get to know the opposing side as well, so she knows how to best handle the case. "I have a sixth sense," she says. "Once they tell me a couple of things, I tell them, ‘Oh yes, the person also does this, this, and this, right?’ This helps me to strategize the case then we get into what the client wants." At this time, Ms. Garwood recommends a complete course of action for her client, whether that involves traditional litigation, mediation, or Collaborative Law. "If it changes, it changes, but this approach works best for me," she says. "I've honed my skills over the years. I find I am able to take what I've learned and maximize the benefits for my clients."

Compassionate yet aggressive when necessary, Ms. Garwood partners with her clients to help them through the strain of the divorce process. "We work as a team," she says. "I try to communicate to them that this, too, shall pass." She prefers to settle her cases amicably, stating: "I don't think that litigation serves the greater good. Any good attorney in San Diego County will mediate or settle a case if they can, so clients can get on with their lives." But when the other side is being irrational or appears to be unwilling to settle, Ms. Garwood is not afraid to take the case to court. "Many attorneys are afraid to go to court. I'm not. I always tell my client, "I'm not going to waste my time and your money trying to settle something that's not going to settle. I'll keep pushing the case, and if it settles, great, if not, we'll go to court." When asked if there is such a thing as a successful divorce, Ms. Garwood pauses for a moment. "Yes," she says. "I think so. A successful divorce is when you can walk away after it’s all over, and still meet that person on the street and greet them. If you have children, a successful divorce is one where you can go to their weddings and treat one another with respect in front of the children."

When experience, knowledge, and sensitivity matter, consider the Law Offices of Julia M. Garwood. "I think what sets our firm apart is that we quietly do very good work," concludes Garwood. "I tell my clients that there are emotional losers and emotional winners in divorce. I try to make sure my clients are all emotional winners."

For more information, or to schedule an initial consultation, contact Ms. Garwood at the number listed below. The first 20 minutes are offered free of charge to Divorce Magazine readers.

The Law Offices & Mediation Center of Julia M. Garwood
Julia M. Garwood, CFLS
1450 Frazee Road, Suite 602
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone: (619) 692-8100
Fax: (619) 692-1050
www.GarwoodFamilyLaw.com
Julia@GarwoodFamilyLaw.com

Julia Garwood has written following articles:

FAQs:

• "My spouse just asked me for a divorce. What should I do first?"
• "I am just starting my divorce. Can you give me your best tips?"
• "Who should consider using Collaborative Divorce?"
• "Will it affect my divorce if I date other people?"
• "Who shouldn't use mediation? Can it work for couples who argue a lot, for instance?"
• "What is divorce mediation?"
• "Is divorce mediation right for you?"
• "What are the benefits of divorce mediation?"