STADLER and STADLER, LLP

JUDITH K. STADLER is a Certified Family Law Specialist, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.  Approximately 3% of all licensed attorneys in California are specialists in their fields of practice.

Ms. Stadler has practiced law in
Sonoma County since 1988.  At
present, she practices family law solely in the Sonoma County Courts.  Ms. Stadler has received numerous awards
from the Sonoma County Superior
Court for her volunteer work. Of her
25 years of experience, 22 years has been spent solely in the practice of family law.

ANDREW E. STADLER worked for Ms. Stadler for over 10 years, initially as a paralegal, notary, and licensed process server.  Today, Mr. Stadler is a Limited Partner in the firm and represents our clients in negotiating settlements and in making court appearances, with our clients.

Both attorneys, together or individually, are available to you, as your needs arise.

You want someone who will care about your case.  To some attorneys, the practice of law family business, passed from father to son or daughter.  To others, the practice of law is a means to earn a living or to obtain a certain status in the community.  To us, family law is a “calling.”  In simple terms, that means that your legal matter is about you—not about us.  And, in being about you, that means our firm feels that when you hand us your retainer check, that means you are handing us your worry, your sleepless nights, your fears, and your problems.  We will carry that load for you.

However, we do not lead you through your case, and we will not follow behind you, awaiting your direction; rather, we stand beside you. We will work through your family law matter, with you, together.  Most often, clients want to give our firm credit for their outcome that was fair and satisfying.  We remind them that we did it together, with you; we all did it as a team.

You want someone who will be available to you.  In the darkness of the late evening, worries and fears arise, and domestic disputes often occur.  And, during holidays and weekends, disputes arise among couples whose relationships are deteriorating.   It is at those times that you need your family law attorney; and it is then that we also are available to you.  It is simply a part of our calling, because we care.  We want you well-rested and worry-free throughout your legal matter. As a result, you will make better decisions.

You want to feel heard and a part of the process.  Attorneys generally do a lot of talking.  We do a lot of listening.  No one knows your relationship better than you.

No one knows your children better than you.  In listening, we can take your facts and present them in a legal format so that the court will understand the important issues in your matter.  You own your own court-filed declarations.  We assist you in organizing your thoughts and in putting those thoughts down on paper.  Our office does not hand you legal documents with a demand to “sign here.”  We want you to feel heard, not only by us, but also by the court.  We work together with you.

You want to avoid court.  In addition to litigating, our firm negotiates, mediates, and has handled Collaborative Law matters.  If your matter involves litigation, the vast majority of our cases resolve themselves through negotiated settlement.  In addition, with opposing counsels who are also trained in Collaborative Law, that is, where each party has his/her mediator present at negotiations, even a litigated matter can proceed “collaboratively,” whereby contentiousness between attorneys is eliminated. And, if your matter is uncontested, you and your spouse can give us those issues upon which you have reached agreement and those issues that you are having difficulty resolving, and we can proceed by means of a sole mediator from our office in handling your matter.

You want someone you can afford.  You are sensitive to the economic environment.  Either you or your spouse, or both of you, may be unemployed.  Worsening matters, you have heard the stories of your friends, neighbors, and relatives who have had to hire an attorney to handle their family law matter.  We understand.  As a result, we offer a free initial consultation, where we can sit down with you and outline, with you, the important issues in your case.  And, we routinely undercharge our clients by means of minimum charges for phone calls and letters or by means of indicating “no charge” on our Statements of Services or by indicating “courtesy discounts.”  We also set up payment plans for past due accounts, and, even though our fee agreement allows us to charge interest on balances that are past due, we do not charge interest if your payments are regular and on time.  And, we let you set the amount of the payment on the past-due account.  Such an approach makes sense, when a practice is a calling, and when the legal matter is about you, and not about us.

You are afraid.  You are in a relationship that is violent or you sense may become violent.  If you are a batterer, we can connect you with resources to counsel and educate you to cease being the parent from your childhood who imprinted that behavior, to cease drug and alcohol abuse that led to the violence, and to defend you against exaggerated or false accusations in family law court.   If you are a victim, we can  connect you with resources to counsel and educate you to cease codependency, to cease being the parent from your childhood who didn’t protect you from the alcoholic and abusive other parent, and, while we are being your voice, we work with you, in your own declarations to the court, so that you can find your own voice, with the goal of not repeating this type of relationship in the future.  Many of our referrals come from therapists.  We do not perform therapy.  We simply understand; and we care.

You want someone experienced.  Judith K. Stadler is a Certified Family Law Specialist, certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.

Within the Courts, Ms. Stadler volunteers her time assisting the Courts in its family law Settlement Conference program and Status Conference programs.  As a Settlement Conference Officer, she mediates family law matters that are having difficulty in resolving their matters.  As a Status Conference attorney, she assists families who do not have attorneys and who need help with the “next step” in their family law matter.  For the State Bar of California, and for the local Bar Association, Ms. Stadler volunteers her time as a Fee Arbitrator, assisting attorneys and clients in settling their fee disputes.  For ten years, she was a member of the State Bar of California, Family Law Executive Committee’s Standing Committee (North) on Domestic Violence and has chaired that Committee.  She has also been a member of the State Bar of California, Family Law Executive Committee’s Standing Committee on Child Custody.  Ms. Stadler has received numerous awards from the Sonoma County Superior Court for her volunteer work.  Of her 25 years of experience, 22 years has been spent solely in the practice of family law.

You are tired of looking for an attorney.  You can call us at (707) 431-7224 to set up an appointment at your convenience.  We have weekday, weeknight, weekend, and holiday appointments available.   If you are not ready, yet, to make an appointment, we understand.  No one should force you into such an important decision.  But we do recommend that, if you feel hesitant, you seek the assistance of a counselor.  You can call us at the above number for a list of referrals.  A counselor can “un-muddy” the waters, so that you can see your life’s issues more clearly.  And, then, when you are ready to proceed in your legal matter, you can contact us.  We can move forward  toward resolving your family law issues, as a team, incorporating the advice of your therapist into the process. 

Again, it’s all about you.