Stephanie H. Winegrad
Divorce Law - West Conshohocken, PA

I think one thing that clients will notice about me right away is that I am upfront and honest with them. From our first meeting I make it clear to my client how I see their case being resolved. I pride myself at having good personal skills - and I know those skills make me more effective for my clients.

There are, though, some issues to work through at the start. Most people facing divorce hear an earful - "My neighbor said she got "x" and I should get "y" - so there is a process of education, of learning what to expect.

Many lawyers simply repeat what their clients tell them rather than determining whether the statements are accurate. This doesn't serve anyone's interest and causes more controversy. The parties and their counsel become more heated and not much can be accomplished. The facts are what is important after we have the emotions under control.

Family law is different from any other area of the law. First and foremost we're focusing on resolving problems in our clients' personal lives.

Not infrequently I have people come in and ask me for a second opinion on their case. If I think their lawyer's doing a good job, I'll be the first one to say so.

Another point my clients should know is family law really has different wrinkles from county to county. I want clients to know I'm familiar with the courts and the judges in the counties where I practice - all of that is much more important than many realize. One county's judge will view alimony one way, while another will take a totally different position. Shared physical custody may be preferable by one judge, but not by another. Even judges have biases - they are people too, after all.

Many cases can and do settle without litigation - but I also tell my clients I can be an advocate and a litigate their case if necessary. But I don't encourage litigation for litigation's sake: It just doesn't help anybody, especially the children.

Social media is something of a wild card in our work today. I tell people to stop posting on Facebook when they are about to get divorced - that's the best advice I can give. However, often clients don't listen and the information they post could hurt them in their case.

I've worked at excellent firms over the course of my career, so I can say with confidence our firm is first-rate - we have excellent lawyers and I'm proud of our standards and our results. I think our clients recognize that too.

Stephanie H. Winegrad
"Family law is different from any other area of the law. First and foremost we're focusing on resolving problems in our clients' personal lives."
Phone: (267) 675-4977
Fax: (610) 825-4549
 
 
Education
University of Pittsburgh, BA, 1993
Villanova University School of Law, J.D., 1996
 
2024-01-23 11:29:18