Sometimes, the result of custody disputes, visitation issues, and child support are dependent on the county in which the dispute is heard as well as the particular judge who is assigned to your case. For example, a judge (now retired) would boast that he never had allowed a custodial parent to relocate with children. It didn’t matter what the custodial parent’s reasons were, this particular judge simply did not believe that absent extraordinary circumstances, a custodial parent should relocate with children. Obviously, it is helpful to know how your “audience” thinks about a particular issue before negotiating a settlement and before you spend money needlessly on a hopeless case.

Equally obvious is that an experienced lawyer who regularly appears in the same courts, before the same judges on the same issues is preferable to an inexperienced lawyer, or a lawyer who “dabbles” in matrimonial and family law. Though you are likely to pay more initially for a lawyer who is experienced, you are also likely to pay less money in the end for a better result.