Adam Horwitz, of Smith and Horwitz Family Law in Philadelphia, recently received the 2014 Super Lawyers Rising Star Award. The award is given to less than 3% of all Pennsylvania Lawyers and is based on peer nominations and a group of ranking factors. We contacted Mr. Horwitz to discuss his success in Family Law in Pennsylvania and the rights of individuals and even grandparents when a divorce occurs.
Smith explained that Family Law cases in Pennsylvania are divided into separate tracks for the actual divorce, custody, and support issues. He stated an attorney can specialize in Family Law but that attorney will cover all of the tracks for the client. He also stated that it is important to have an attorney in a Family Law case to protect one’s rights and have someone with knowledge and experience to represent their best interests and make sure all proper petitions have been filed. He added that In seeking out an attorney it is most important to make sure you are comfortable with their style and personality, but also to check their experience and customer reviews. Before hiring a lawyer the individual needs to firmly understand their fee structure and what is required in retainer or ongoing payments for the case.
David Centeno, Divorce Attorney Writer at the Huffington post stated, “If you are seeking a divorce, you may be tempted to file for divorce on your own using court provided documents or information from a book or website. While a do-it-yourself divorce may be acceptable in some situations, most people should consider hiring an attorney to represent their interests.”
An article on theBillfold.com summarized one man’s experience: “The last thing I ever expected out of my otherwise well-planned life was a divorce. I didn’t expect my marriage to last just 10 years and to be a single father at 37. Living through the financial impact of divorce has been like watching a tornado destroy what little I had built in my 15 years since finishing college.”
Failure to get the help of an attorney could result in loss of custody, or even visitation in extreme cases. Many people are not aware of their legal rights and an attorney can help in protecting not only custody, but on-going financial concerns due to support and alimony. Sometimes grandparents can be involved in this process. About 10% of cases involve grandparents’ visitation issues. If there is a custody issue with one or both parents, the grandparents can step in and get involved from simple visitation to full custody in very extreme cases.
We questioned Mr. Horowitz about his rating on Avvo.com and his award via SuperAttorneys.com. He stated, “You want an attorney that knows the system and the laws. We want our client to get what is fair and equitable. As a small practice with 2 attorneys, we are constantly involved with our clients, so we are returning our own phone calls. Lots of times people complain they can never get in touch with their attorney and that has never been an issue with us. A small practice can provide better and more personalized service and, of course, we specialize in family law.”
Adam Horwitz is partners with Elaine Smith at the Law Offices of Smith and Horwitz. They service the entire Philadelphia metro Main Line areas. They can be reached at Law Office of Smith & Horwitz, Academy House, Suite 110, 1420 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. To contact them by phone: (215) 545-2880. Their website is: http://www.smithhorwitz.com/.