It's the Friday two weeks after my last blog post, so I'm due for another, but as it is New Year's Day and I have been off work today, I cannot say the inspiration for a post is flowing. As a result, I'm going to use this post just to give some updates about this blog.
First, after receiving about 40 requests for initial consultations over the course of the past several months from people outside of the geographic area I handle cases in, I decided it was time to add my initial consultation policy to this blog, so it is now linked at the top of the blog with my disclaimer, comment policy, etc. This policy outlines what conditions must be met in order for you to meet with me for a free initial consultation (the key one being the physical location of your case), while also discussing what to do if you want to discuss a legal issue with me but don't qualify for an initial consultation. I'd recommend anyone who'd like to discuss an issue with me to read this policy first.
Second, my second child is due to be born in March. As this blog was started after I'd already returned to work following the birth of my first child, I have no base knowledge as to how this is going to affect my posting schedule. Needless to say, however, I would expect that from around February until maybe May or so, you can expect some erratic posting.
Third, as always, I remain open to suggested blog topics from readers, and to other attorneys or related professionals who wish to do a guest post. Just shoot me an e-mail at SLeven@thebaldwinlawfirm.com.
Fourth, I've had a few people reach out to me and ask some questions about the firm I work for - as you can find elsewhere in this blog, I am employed by The Baldwin Law Firm. My boss, Roy Baldwin, has been practicing law in Northern Virginia since the 1970's. I worked for the firm the summer after my first year of law school, then began full time in December of 2010. At that time there was another attorney working at the firm, but he left in February of 2011, so for nearly two years thereafter, it was just me and Mr. Baldwin as a two attorney firm. In February of 2013, a new associate was hired while I was on paternity leave, and then in November of 2013, Mr. Baldwin's son, Nate, joined the firm, making us a four attorney firm (a big shock to my system after having been one of two for so long). In February of 2015, our other associate moved on to open the first Northern Virginia office of a national family law firm, leaving us as a three attorney firm, which is where I anticipate we will stay for some time. You can learn a lot more about us at our website: http://www.thebaldwinlawfirm.com.
Fifth and finally, this one is just for fun - I've mentioned a few times that the "wheels of justice turn slowly" and that some cases truly can drag on for ages. I've had two people write to me and ask me what the longest-lasting case I've been involved with in my career to date is. In reality, that's a complicated question for an attorney who does family law - cases can go on for years and years in many instances since things like custody and support can routinely be changed. So, if you're talking about "the longest case" in the sense of the same people fighting about the same basic issues, then there is a case where I assisted in handling a custody dispute in the summer after my first year of law school (summer of 2008) when I had my summer job at my current firm - and those two parents are still fighting over custody and support for their kids to this day with the most recent trial having just been held four months ago.
If you're talking about "the longest case" in the sense of from when a particular complaint or motion was filed until the trial happened and that particular complaint or motion was resolved (so, no post-trial modifications involved), then there was a case I took a few counties away in which DCSE sued my client for alleged missed child support payments (he claimed he had paid in full), and the combination of some complicated issues and a loaded court docket caused this one to go quite long. Specifically, the case was filed in November of 2012, and the actual trial did not occur until September of 2014, so that case went nearly two years without there being any appeals or post-trial issues involved.
And that's all I have to start off the new year. I'll see you all again in two weeks!
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