When a family law matter becomes serious enough to involve legal counsel, it may be natural to want to wait, to hope that tensions will dissipate and the issues will resolve on their own. Too often, though, the party to the dispute who waits the longest loses the most.

That is because conflict of interest plays a powerful role in family law, perhaps even more so than in other areas of legal practice.

Enlisting an advocate

Once one of the Bucks and Montgomery County divorce attorneys at Williams Family Law agrees to represent a party in a family law matter, no other attorneys from our team may represent the opposing party. That means that those who find themselves in need of an experienced, skilled divorce lawyer or child custody attorney may be out of luck if they don’t move quickly to secure legal representation.

We frequently field calls from people looking for a divorce or child support lawyer, only to find out that their spouse had beaten them to the punch and already had secured our services. In the race to hire an experienced divorce lawyer who knows the Bucks County and Montgomery County family court systems, their spouse won that battle.

Family law cases - divorce, child custody, alimony and spousal support, child support, separation agreements, and more - are some of the most emotional legal cases to handle. Our clients find that they rely on us not just for legal counsel but also for emotional support. Knowing that you have a smart, skilled advocate on your side makes a world of difference when you walk into the negotiating room.

Rules of legal ethics

Avoiding conflict of interest is important in all legal cases. The intimate nature of family law cases, however, elevates ethical considerations even further.

Pennsylvania legal ethics guidelines prohibit a lawyer from representing a client if the representation of that client would be directly adverse to another client. As commentary in the ethics guidelines points out, "Loyalty and independent judgment are essential elements in the lawyer's relationship to a client."

When a client engages the services of a Pennsylvania family law attorney at Williams Family Law, we are committed to that client completely. Our pragmatic yet aggressive advocacy on behalf of our clients has resulted in a track record of success in high-stakes, high-conflict, high-income family law and litigation.

When you need a skilled, experienced family lawyer in Bucks County, or Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, call us at 215-340-2207. We can help.