| Attorney Profiles - Child:Josh Friedman |
Joshua T. FriedmanPartner jfriedman@davisfriedman.com "A divorce case is a legal business resolution, but it is also a confidential personal relationship," says Josh Friedman. "As a divorce lawyer, I look first at my clients' needs and family values before I get into the financial legalities of their case." Friedman knows about business resolutions because he started practicing in a large corporate firm where he specialized in labor law and commercial litigation. "Being a divorce attorney takes another kind of energy," he points out. "Our family law clients typically are experiencing a major state of transition. We are not only their lawyer but also their trusted advisor, offering clarity and support during a period of extreme distress. We have to take that into consideration when discussing support, child custody, property division, and all the other aspects of a client's case." A family law attorney, notes Friedman, must be an expert in taxes, real estate and asset valuations, as well as divorce law. "The resolution of every case, however, must be approached with our client's family values in mind," he explains. "Our true strength is that we can identify key issues. And we know when to tap experts in other fields to help address complex matters that affect a divorce settlement." Solid assessment and reliable intuition, based on years of experience, bring clarity to a client's case and set the path for a successful outcome. "When I handle a case," Friedman adds, "I also have the benefit of 19 other attorneys here specializing in Family Law who are available to help each other when the case calls for it. We discuss difficult issues, and our client benefits by getting to consider our different points of view. Every case is unique, and has to be adapted to the needs of each individual client." For Friedman, there is a personal element. "As the father of two teenage girls myself," he explains, "I find that custody battles are the most likely to keep me awake at night. What is best for the children is the primary issue. If there is a need to go to court, I'll use psychological experts, mediation and judicial pre-trials in an effort to avoid trauma to the children in custody disputes." He adds, "At Davis Friedman, we always prepare for a trial in a way that encourages a settlement without one, or a successful result with a trial." One of the universal challenges in determining child custody is to anticipate the significant changes that occur so quickly in children's daily lives. A few years-moving from grammar school schedules to extra curricular activities and sports in high school, for instance-can make a big difference in how children spend time with each of their parents. "Our task is to find a way to foresee these changes without knowing precisely what they will be," Friedman states. Admitted to the Bar1991, Illinois EducationMiami University of Ohio, B.A., 1986 |
Professional MembershipsChicago Bar Association Accomplishments and PublicationsFaculty, "Drafting Marital Settlement Agreements," Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2012 |
