Originally Posted by BFMthisA10

Good questions. No, they were separate lawyers. My big lesson learned was hiring my first without sufficient research on the topic, then taking the time to hire the next one right. And if I was to trim down all of the variables into a more streamlined process, AAML cert would be fairly center of mass; pick three off of AAML and interview them.
As far as father's rights, bias of the court, etc., my second attorney, if I were to be frank, was entrenched in many of the biases that are stereotypical, and I had several pointed discussions about tailoring the tactics and long term strategy in ways that sometimes ran counter to his accustomed routine. But it was his broader grasp of family law, to include the national, and even international spheres (what if she leaves the country with the kids?), asset division, custody, spousal maintenance, and case law that goes beyond local and state, THAT was where the credentialing mattered. Many attorneys include Family Law on their list of practice areas, but few make it their core skillset. If you didn't fly but had a King Air, would you hire an C-MEL rated school teacher to fly it for you?