Divorce isn't the kind of of thing we sing from the roof-tops about and the thought of a prospective employer seeing this review upon searching my name makes cringe, so I'll be writing this anonymously but nonetheless with the intent to offer my recommendation of Bethanie Fanti as an attorney.
You see, I finally popped, "Bethanie Fanti" into a search window today -- more than 5 months after I retained her, in a rush, without ever having heard of her, met her, seen her website, read reviews, etc. (Yeah, you read that correctly: my divorce attorney turned out to be a woman I'd never met. We didn't even talk on the phone until after the first hearing!)
I was surprised to see even one less than stellar review, so I write to provide some balance and perspective.
Assuming you're new to this, shopping, per-se, I point out that a divorce attorney isn't just asked to wear many hats in a general way, they're asked to be experts in many disciplines under the pressure of our/client fears and other big emotions as we navigate this ugly thing we never imagined would happen to us. They're advising us on matters that impact our children, finances, the dwellings we've called, "home," and thought would be our homes for many years. We are forced to trust someone we don't really know in a time when we are heartbroken, angry, and let's face it, vulnerable AF because a relationship with someone we actually knew and trusted is crumbling.
So, we're saying, "Hey, I'm not sleeping or showering, and I really need you to know the law, the judges (their dispositions, preferences, pet-peeves, et. al), when the rules at the court-house change; predict when there will be a delay; which judge we'll get assigned - so you can tell me what that means to my case, be strategic; be a child development expert; a child therapist; a financial advisor; a real-estate forecaster; and a super-whiz at admin. tasks which, in my book, logically includes keeping track of all of the characters in my life. Oh, and I need you to tell me why my spouse is doing what he/she is doing, and why their attorney is a such a [insert pejorative about someone who's doing their job in a way we hate].
If we're trying to get through this with some semblance of dignity and grace, or just sanity, we're also asking our attorneys to serve as a sort of moral compass, therapist, and best friend -- the kind that will tell us what we don't want to hear, but may need to hear.
As I type this I realize it's almost like we're asking this one person to anticipate and meet our every need with tenderness and compassion in a time when we are feeling extra-ordinarily high stress, sadness, anger, etc. I hope you see what I did there ; )
If you're looking for a gantt chart, playbook, guarantee, and some sort of web-based portal where you can log-in and control your heart out, definitely look else where. If you're looking for an experienced attorney running her own show with professionalism, and you can remember she has other clients, and a life of her own, I feel confident saying: stop looking, hire Bethanie.
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