Paul Edward Lerandeau

I was blessed to have had Paul Lerandeau as my divorce attorney! After being in my marriage for over 25 years, I was in complete devastation when it came to an end. Paul took my case and was very sensitive to my emotions and needs. I had no idea how to begin my divorce. He guided me on how to begin a... new chapter in my life as my divorce process began. He made the best recommendations on how to begin by moving on with another home. As I was stressing on how to support my three kids through college as well as hire a divorce attorney, Paul became sensitive to my fears and worked with me. He was always available to me and was able to produce the best case in my defense. He did his best to be as affordable as possible for me. I was always updated on my case and received every piece of documentation produced. Paul saw a lot of my tears and yet I always was reassured that I would be okay. And he was right. When my divorce was final he gave me his final advice on how to continue a safe and healthy life with my kids. I was sad to know that I would no longer see him and cried. Years later I have continued to share my sad and happy, successful life events with him via email. I have grown to be the best mom and friend to many others. And I can thank Paul and his staff for this success. Because my case has been closed for almost six years, his office was kind to have called me and offer copies of any of my files before shredding them. I have so much respect and love for this attorney and friend! I highly and strongly recommend him to any person in need to hire a family law and divorce attorney!

Paul very ably handled my complex child custody dispute involving three jurisdictions (including one in a foreign country), an appellate angle, and a very deep-pocketed ex. He was accessible when I called, his staff were unfailingly polite and capable, and ultimately the matter was sent to the jurisd...iction where it belonged. I was impressed, and I'm a lawyer myself. Even more importantly, he knew what his strengths were as well what he needed to defer to outsiders. He found a superb expert for me, and brought a subpoena against a branch of government that I frankly wouldn't have thought would result in a reply--but it did. That was great work. Paul's fees were quite reasonable. And he impressed me as a fundamentally decent person who works his way through the family law courts by dint of his outstanding knowledge of the law. But also because other people--judges and opposing counsel--respect him for his forthright, fair, and results-oriented outlook. Often family law litigants feel compelled to engage a jerk for a lawyer, which is ultimately counterproductive. Paul is not that; he is tough, and certainly not a pushover, but he was always conscious of what was in the best interests of my child (who, as it turns out, is the same age as his). The result was certainly good for me and for my family. I recommend Paul to other family law litigants without reservation.

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.

I highly recommend Mr. Lerandeau. He was my sanity when I lacked any. After being married for over thirty years, I was devastated to find out that my husband was cheating on me with a woman half my age. At first I couldn’t believe it, hoping that my husband was coming back to me. When that didn’t ha...ppen, I fell into a deep state of depression and could not get out of bed. It was not until I started to become angry over my husband’s betrayal did I seek Mr. Lerandeau’s assistance. At that time, I didn’t know what I needed just that I needed help. Paul knew just what to do and made sure I received an order for support, payment of my attorney’s fees and use of my home and car. His staff was extremely helpful during this time and took care of everything I needed. It is truly a full service law firm. Eventually I grew to accept that I was getting a divorce and grew much stronger. Soon I was able to make good decisions in my case and we resolved the whole thing on very good terms with Paul’s expert guidance. However, it was his help during that initial stage of my case that really made a difference. I don’t think things would have turned out nearly as well had I gone to any other attorney; In fact I am sure of it!

I came to the realization that just having an attorney is not enough, but having the right attorney is everything. Finding myself at 54 and being faced with the most devastating journey of my life, i.e., the demise of my 35 year marriage, I did not know where to turn for professional help. The first ...attorney I chose was definitely not the right one for me as he wasted a lot of my money and accomplished very little. Out of frustration, I asked an attorney/friend of mine who did not practice family law for a recommendation. He stated, and I quote, "[i]f you have a difficult case and you want to make sure you receive everything you are entitled to, Lerandeau & Lerandeau are the only family law attorneys I would consider." The truth of this statement was quickly confirmed after retaining Lerandeau & Lerandeau. They handled my case as a team making sure that everyone understood the game plan, knew their role and when their tasks were to be completed. This approach caused my case to move forward quickly and decisively. FINALLY I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and on our first court appearance, I was more than thrilled with the results and was able to get everything I was asking for and more. I now have peace of mind and can sleep at night knowing my case will be handled by someone I completely trust. What I appreciate from a financial stand point is that I am not always billed at the full hourly fee of my attorney. Often I am charged much less per hour depending on which member of the team is working on a particular aspect of my case. Hmmm, an attorney that tries to save you money. What a interesting concept! As a 54 year high school educated, stay at home Mom, with no real marketable skills, I was very concerned and frightened about my future. I do not have those concerns any more because the Lerandeau & Lerandeau team has surpassed all of my expectations during this most difficult time in my life. Lerandeau Team members- Jennifer Byers-Lawton: Jennifer has been wonderful to work with, she is extremely knowledgeable and was assigned specific aspects of my case. I worked very closely with her to answer all of her questions so the firm could move forward effectively. Jennifer was always patient, and gave me some wonderful suggestions which helped me to make sure the legal team had everything they needed to fight for me and insure a good outcome… I really appreciated her patience with me and her willingness and ability to answer my questions in a way which enabled me to understand many of the aspects of the case which would have otherwise been way over my head. Kimi Nishihira: Kimi and I worked closely together in getting documents gathered and signed and lists complied. These items were essential to my case. If I was struggling with completing a needed task, because I am facing a process which is new to me and I don’t fully understand. Kimi would patiently help to get me back on track and make sure everything they needed for the process and to insure a positive outcome for me was completed and in their hands…