I’ve been doing this job for 23 years and boy have I gotten some bad reviews (I’ve also gotten good ones, but that is beside the point). I have been called everything from the anti-Christ to a money-grubbing parasite. I know I am not alone in this regard. Family law lawyers, in particular, seem to raise the ire of people. Is it warranted? Sometimes. Most times, however, I would say no.

We, family law lawyers, meet people when they are going through one of the worst times in their lives. Even in the case law, it is recognized that people going through separation and divorce, especially in the early days, are not on their best behaviour. It is a highly charged and volatile change in circumstances that can bring out the worst in people. Our job is to try and assist people in transition through this difficult time. Most times, we are successful but sometimes we are not.

Sometimes we get bad reviews, but what I want to point out is that a lot of the time, those bad reviews are not from our own clients.

Rather, a lot of the time, these bad reviews come from the former partner of our clients. This is even more prevalent when the other side has been self-represented and especially when the matter has been in litigation. They may be unhappy with the result. They may have a personality disorder that conflicts with the whole structure of the case management process in family law. There may be mental health or addiction issue at play.

So, while it may be tempting to read reviews (good or bad) be cautious of the source. What I would say is, get referrals from people you trust and then pay for a consultation. You do not have to retain a lawyer just because you have had a consultation. You need to be comfortable with the lawyer that you choose. You need to feel that they are going to work with you; that they are going to listen to you. You do not want a lawyer that will tell you what you want to hear. You want a lawyer that will give review both your worst case and best case scenario. The lawyers are (or should be) only in your life for a short period of time. When the legal issues are resolved the lawyers will exit the scene and you will have to deal with your ex directly. A such, the more involvement you can have in your case throughout, the easier it will be to deal with your ex once the lawyers are out of the picture.

Ruso Law

As of September 1, 2023 we have merged with Ruso & Associates

Please visit us here: rusolaw.ca