Local vs. Out of Town Attorney

[ga_peach]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA

I hope this is posted in the correct section. I live in a small town where ALL attorneys/judges know each other very well. This is understandable because everyone in my profession know each other well, too. But when taking someone to court (like ex-spouse for contempt/visitation issues), is it better to use an attorney locally, or to find one from a larger city who specializes in family law and handles more family law/specific cases? I am probably going to have to go to court again with the same contempt issues with my ex as last time. Sometimes I think it would be better to have an attorney that isn't "buddies" with all the others and is there to do his job rather than talk to my ex's attorney about their tee-off time at the golf course. This was done during a short recess at court last time and not a whole lot was done about the issues at hand. Also, the other attorney was campaigning for an upcoming election at the time and before we were done presenting the issues, he told the judge we needed to "wrap things up" because he had to get to a campaign luncheon he was already late for.

So my question is, would an attorney from another city that doesn't know everyone here be more aggressive with the issues at hand?

I appreciate any input and thank you for your time.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[azlawstudent]

Originally Posted by ga_peach

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA
So my question is, would an attorney from another city that doesn't know everyone here be more aggressive with the issues at hand?

I appreciate any input and thank you for your time.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Being more aggressive does not mean more effective. In fact, it often means quite the opposite. An attorney who's everybody's friend can more easily work the system for their client's benefit than an attorney who is aggressive and unpopular.

A local attorney is more likely to have good connections. However, merely having connections doesn't mean you'll automatically win, or will turn out substantially better. What it means is that the judge or opposing counsel will give your attorney the benefit of a doubt when something's running late, or when he wants to do more discovery, etc. And, naturally, a judge is pre-disposed to the arguments of an attorney he respects than one he doesn't know. On the whole, you want an attorney who has a good reputation and good connections.

All that being said, if you didn't like how you were treated by your former attorney, you might want to find another one in town. But, there's nothing unethical or unseemly about attorneys on opposing sides of the issue being friends; in fact, it sometimes helps resolve things quickly. The dispute isn't theirs, it's the clients', and attorneys aren't expected to turn on a friend because that friend is on the other side of a case. Asking the judge to hurry up proceedings so that counsel could get to a political campaign event does, however, push the limits of appropriate courtroom behavior and I'm sure the judge took notice.

[loadmaster]

Originally Posted by ga_peach

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA

I hope this is posted in the correct section. I live in a small town where ALL attorneys/judges know each other very well. This is understandable because everyone in my profession know each other well, too. But when taking someone to court (like ex-spouse for contempt/visitation issues), is it better to use an attorney locally, or to find one from a larger city who specializes in family law and handles more family law/specific cases? I am probably going to have to go to court again with the same contempt issues with my ex as last time. Sometimes I think it would be better to have an attorney that isn't "buddies" with all the others and is there to do his job rather than talk to my ex's attorney about their tee-off time at the golf course. This was done during a short recess at court last time and not a whole lot was done about the issues at hand. Also, the other attorney was campaigning for an upcoming election at the time and before we were done presenting the issues, he told the judge we needed to "wrap things up" because he had to get to a campaign luncheon he was already late for.

So my question is, would an attorney from another city that doesn't know everyone here be more aggressive with the issues at hand?

I appreciate any input and thank you for your time.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Without a doubt go with a local attorney. I made the mistake of hiring an out of town high dollar attorney and it was a disaster. Even by standing in the wrong place in the court room can upset a judge when it slows down the flow of the case.

[ga_peach]

Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. I had not even thought of hiring an attorney that wasn't local until a friend suggested it. I thought I would ask and see what your advice would be. She hired one from Atlanta whose firm deals only with family law and has dealt with thousands more cases than would be possible to accomplish here. She said they probably intimidated her ex-husband's attorney here because they got most of the issues solved rather quickly as opposed to her previous attorney that kind of "lollie-gagged" and took forever to get anything done here. But I agree with you guys to keep it local- just thought I would ask. Thank you again.

[azlawstudent]

I should have added the caveat that you should make sure you're dealing with an experienced and reputable attorney. It might not be a good idea to pick an inexperienced local attorney over an experienced out-of-town attorney. I'm sure, however, that there are plenty of experienced and skillful family law attorneys in your town.

[Ronin]

One more comment is that there is often a pecking order among attorneys in a small town.

Depending upon who opposing counsel is, and how aggressively the case is being litigated, one may need to be extra careful who they choose. My ex had chosen the most aggressive attorney in town, and after a lot of searching I found the only one that met my needs. My ex's attorney grudgingly admitted to her that the attorney I retained was the last one she wanted to butt heads with over the issues in my case. He had a strong enough reputation that no one dared oppose him when he later ran for judge. It ended up making a big difference in a lot of ways.

I have also found that a respected young up and coming type attorney in a small town may be a better bet than an older more experienced attorney in the same town. They are often hungrier, work harder, and are more reasonable with their legal fees. Oftentimes these are attorneys who got their feet wet in the local DA or public defenders office.