Deborah Annette Carder

I have been in the hotel industry for over 25 years, having managed some of the finest hotels and resorts in the World, including Ritz Carlton Hotel Management. Deborah should carry a Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons logo aside her credentials. Her level of service exceeded my expectations, which are very high. Deborah and her staff are always attentive to my needs, unlike other attorneys. Deborah also has the ability to keep me level at times when it's in my best interest. Often, during my case, I allowed myself to get too absorbed in the wrong things, but Deborah always kept me grounded, helping me save time and money while protecting me and my assets at all times. You don't find that with many attorneys today. I consider Deborah a true friend. How many people can say that about their attorney?

I would most definitely recommend Deborah Carder to anyone who is in need of a divorce attorney who is brilliant, courteous, very wise, extremely fair in her negotiating, and is meticulous in her thinking and uncovering Information intended to never be uncovered. Above all Deborah is compassionate and truly cares for a positive future for her clients.

Deborah went above and beyond; extremely responsive to all of my questions and concerns and always provided a clear, concise action plan. Not only did Deborah clearly articulate the options available, she took the time to explain the options and actually listen to my concerns. There are several divorce attorneys one could choose, but I would only recommend Deborah.

Debbie is a savvy, highly skilled attorney who never once steered me wrong throughout my divorce and contested custody case. She was very responsive to my inquiries and always told me the truth, whether I wanted to hear it or not. Divorce involves overwhelming turmoil, and Debbie always remained level headed and focused on strategy and best outcomes. She was empathetic yet she didn’t coddle, which is exactly what I needed. She is very honest about whether pursuing certain actions are cost effective and is not motivated by billable hours. She truly wants the best for her clients and their families. I trust her implicitly and recommend her to anyone going through a divorce and/or custody dispute.

Deb took me through every step of the case with compassion, attention to detail and made a difficult situation much easier for me.  She is dedicated to her clients and I appreciate her responsiveness to all my questions and follow up after the case.  She was always willing to take the time with me that I needed to understand the process.  Definitely will be recommending her to my family and friends.

I have known this attorney for several years and I would highly recommend her. Deborah is very professional and honorable. She cares about her clients. She treats other attorneys and judges with respect. Her reputation in the legal community is excellent.

Divorce is a very difficult time and getting referrals for the right divorce attorneys can be difficult. You cannot go wrong with Debbie Carder or Tim Daw. They make a great team. My experience with them spans from 2003 to 2013. What I have learned is that you want a very good, focused divorce attorney. SDF has about 40 divorce attorneys and that provides Debbie Carder an ability to ask questions of others in her firm when some unusual issues or approaches emerged. I also tell everyone that the high billing rates that SDF charges is worth it because you save money by getting the right answer the first time and access to insight on judges and opposing consul that is invaluable. The large number of cases this team has under its belt gives them real insight into possible outcomes and, thus, strategies to employ. Debbie works very closely with Tim Daw. Tim is one of the 4 or 5 full equity partners in SDF. I worked with Tim much more in the first go around back in 2003-2005. They work great together, covering when necessary for each other, and figuring out who is best for different issues, judges, opposing attorneys etc. It was worth the money and reassuring to bounce our complicated issues and approach off Tim, too. Even after the divorce is final, you will likely have questions pop up or need a pre-nup if you remarry - Debbie has been helpful to me on all those fronts as well. I referred a PwC partner to Debbie and Tim, and he has thanked me on a number of occasions for the referral. Over the last 18months, my ex has filed 9 different motions, legal actions of some kind in our last legal battle. Debbie and Tim won every one of them. We recently inked a final settlement!! A few other points : 1. Debbie is an outstanding writer - I mean VERY good! 2. Debbie does care about her clients’ costs and does not unnecessarily run up legal bills 3. She works most weekends and nights, so my concerns were addressed promptly 4. Even if I did not like it, she would tell me her professional legal opinion in a very calm experienced way (believe me I did some yelling and screaming as the cases dragged out due to crazy legal stuff). She is unbelievably professional and quality-oriented. She just tells it like it is based on her experience. 5. She is expensive to use in this way, but she could probably double for a divorce therapist when you just need to vent and have no one else to talk to or who wants to listen anymore! 6. Tim/Debbie understands complex financial matters. 7. Debbie will bring in an expert from another office and even another firm when needed. The client focus and willingness to do the right thing reminds me of my years at Arthur Andersen and the global teamwork we used.

Ms. Carder has a superb grasp of the law, combined with healthy doses of honesty, common sense, and personal ethics. Her ability to retain and recall a huge amount of evidence in my case, stretching back more than a decade, was truly remarkable. This made her a strong advocate for me before the judge and, in my opinion, won my case. It is a comforting feeling to know that your attorney is the smartest lawyer in the courtroom.