Paul Edward Lerandeau

When one looks for a divorce attorney, well connected people get referrals. Everyone else reads reviews or searches the Internet. Luckily, I was referred to Paul Lerandeau by our business attorney. Referrals work because the referring person is a trusted friend and connects you with another truste...d friend of theirs. Let me then refer you to the smartest and most creative family law practice in the state, Lerandeau & Lerandeau. My divorce was extremely complicated and difficult. Paul, Jennifer, Rebecca, and Toni were all very knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process. I never went to a courtroom, saw a judge, or dealt with a mediator. The attorneys at Lerandeau and Lerandeau forged a relationship with the opposing counsel that benefited me. There were many times their advice both legal and personal were beneficial during and after the divorce. You will not meet a more capable and friendly group of attorneys. Call Paul before your future ex does.

I have worked with many attorneys in my personal life, but more so in my professional career and I have to say that Paul Lerandeau is without question the finest attorney that I have ever met. Simply put, he is a real stand-up guy. But what makes Paul a special attorney is his dedication to his clien...ts, the "diplomatic tenacity" that he applies to his work ethics, and his natural ability to "think outside the box". He doesn't miss a trick. In my situation he performed what I called "Paul's magic". I was married to a lady who was a French citizen. Prior to us getting married, with the belief that she would inherit a sizable amount of high valued property in the South of France, my soon-to-be-wife asked me to sign a prenuptial agreement. I had no problem with that. Six years later we were going through a divorce. Paul represented me in this matter. I had told Paul that we had a prenuptial agreement that was written and filed in France, but that my copy had strangely disappeared. The only information I had was that the document was written in July of 1998 by a Notary (a very high level position in France) in a small city about a two hour drive north of Aix-en-Provence. I also remembered that the city had a small "Coca Cola Memorabilla Museum" in it. Paul wrote a letter to my estranged wife's attorney requesting a copy of the document. A few days later Paul called me and said, "I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I received a response from your wife's Attorney and she said that they don't know anything about any prenuptial agreement. The good news is that I found the city that you signed the prenuptial agreement in. It was in Salon-de-Provence. I also found the Notary who wrote the prenuptial agreement and he just faxed it to me. Oh ya and I just faxed it to your wife's attorney so she could have a copy too." Well I was absolutely amazed!! I'm thinking, how did he do that?? But Paul's magic wasn't over quite yet. When we went to Court for our Pre-Trial Hearing the Judge looked at the prenuptial agreement. It was written in French and it referenced French Laws. The Judge told Paul that she wanted an attorney who was a member of the California and French Bar Association to translate the document into English and explain how the French Laws related to California Laws. I thought, oh no, how do I find a guy like that? The next day Paul found that guy. At that point the show was about over. And my divorce was over too. Thank you Paul.... During the time that Paul represented me he consistently displayed the highest levels of integrity, honesty and I would have to say brilliance. If you need help with anything involving Family Law in Fresno County or maybe even anywhere in the Central Valley, do yourself a favor and call Paul Lerandeau. You'll thank me later. Tim O'Leary

I have read all of the other reviews and could not agree more with all of the positive comments. In response to the individuals who did not post positive reviews, with all due respect, I'm inclined to think there is more to you and your case than what you are revealing. I was totally blindsid...ed when my spouse of 15 years served me divorce papers. He had a young girlfriend & had already moved in with her unbeknownst to me. I had no family on the west coast, no money & no resources. I had three young children and had been a stay at home mom for 10 years. I was distraught. I immediately asked around for the name of the best divorce attorney in town. Two names kept coming up again and again. I went to a consultation with the first attorney. I told him that I was from the east coast & had only moved to Fresno 10 years ago for my husband's job. I had no family, no job & I wanted to go home where I would have a better chance with employment & help with my children. He informed me that a "move away order was next to impossible," I would never get it, it was messy and expensive & he didn't want to get involved with it. I met Paul the next day. He was amazing. He listened, helped me figure out where the money was going to come from & most of all, he gave me hope. Paul and Jennifer (Byers-Lawton) walked me through every step of the process. The most profound thing Paul said to me was, "Tell the truth. Do the right things. Always do what's best for your children no matter how you feel." Paul has integrity and always encouraged me to take the high road. Paul was very honest and straightforward. He fought hard to get me a fair support order. He and Jennifer prepared me well for court and mediation situations, letting me know exactly what to expect. Paul knows family law & it was obvious that he was very well respected in court. His office staff was extremely courteous and efficient. The lines of communication were always open. Jennifer always responded in a very timely manner & was my lifeline during a very dark time. She really knows her stuff but approaches things with warmth and humor. She is the kind of person you would want to be friends with in real life. This is the kind of person Paul chooses to be his associate. Like all good things, Paul is expensive. I won't argue that, but really, you get what you pay for. This is you life and the lives of your children we're talking about. He is worth every penny. It was a long and painful process but I know I would not be where I am today without Paul Lerandeau. I am writing this review from the east coast where my children and I now live.

The most important thing to me in my divorce was my children. However, I did not want to get into an ugly fight over them with my husband because I knew they would be the ones to suffer if we did. Paul was able to get me a great custody order without having to turn my case into a horrible contentious... feud. He helped me through mediation and convince my husband (and his attorney) at court to agree on a custody plan. Paul is very knowledgeable about the needs of children and how they are affected by divorce. He used this knowledge and his vast experience as an attorney to negotiate a solution that worked for everybody, especially our children. Paul also did a great job on the rest of my case. He negotiated a support order and a property settlement that was fair and did so without a big fight. While the divorce was very painful, I still retain a working relationship with my ex-husband to co-parent our children thanks to Paul. I couldn’t ask for more under the circumstances.

Paul is definitely the person to call when the chips are down. He is cool, confident, and sees the big picture. I had a prior attorney who had a very difficult time getting me anything near what I was entitled to receive. Out of desperation, I asked friends for a recommendation for the best attorney ...they knew. They all referred me to Lerandeau & Lerandeau. Thank god they did as I had almost lost hope in my case, in myself, and was ready to give in and give everything away because I was so beaten down. Paul did not take no for an answer. He combed all of my paperwork, made my husband substantiate all of his representations and made me hire my own forensic accountant to get a true picture of my husband’s finances. Once he had all of the information he needed, Paul was able to prove my husband made over double what he had previously represented. He is a tenacious bulldog who does not give up no matter what.