| Attorney Profiles - Child:Benton Page |
Benton H. PageAssociate When Benton Page decided to practice matrimonial and family law, he realized the differences between this and other kinds of litigation and transaction. He also recognized the opportunities in a challenging field. "It is never boring," he says. "Every case requires me to learn more about some aspect of the law, as well as about people and other fields that otherwise I would know nothing about." And during divorces, he adds, "People need a lot of hand-holding-more than in situations for other legal matters. I have clients that call every single day, and I'm glad to talk with them." Even though this field of divorce law has always been different from other specialties in certain respects, he notes it also continues to evolve. "Divorce has always been an emotional ordeal. But it is moving towards the rest of civil practice, which is more unemotional, with people actually following the rules." "Philosophically, family law has been at the forefront of the move towards collaboration, mediation and cooperative settlements," Page observes. But he admits that this area is still very people-sensitive; and it's the last frontier when it comes to using modern courtroom technology. Even so, family law is catching up, and more efficient processes will save time and help clients, "who are always in a hurry to get to the end of the process." In Page's view, there are two principal types of clients he sees: those who think they are in a huge mess, that the roof is falling down, and those who "just want to get divorced." In both categories, however, every client thinks it shouldn't take as long as it does. "A contested divorce can't take less than six months," he explains, "because the information-gathering process alone takes so much time." As the son of a divorce attorney whose own parents are divorced, Ben is living proof that a fair agreement is "not the worst thing in the world" for a child. "It's better than having two parents who are unhappy when they are together." |
What's special about working at Davis Friedman? "As a firm we're recognized as one that values avoiding confrontation, and so we don't add to the emotional turmoil of our clients. But we are perfectly capable of litigating, if need be." Page has a couple of important roles he plays at the firm. Because he is the youngest lawyer (licensed in May 2009), colleagues "sometimes seek me out because of my age," he finds, for his insights into his generation. "But they also seek me out because I'm a by-the-book kind of guy. That's my nature." On the personal side of his life, he notes, "Every girl I date asks me if working in family law is going to affect my willingness to get married. Probably I would be a fool if it didn't." But people his age are now generally cautious, he says. "More and more my friends are together for years before they get married." Admitted to the Bar2009, Illinois EducationUniversity of Iowa Law School, J.D., 2008 Professional MembershipsChicago Bar Association AccomplishmentsMember of Associate Board, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services and Personal PAC |
