Adult B'nai Mitzvah

On Saturday, May 2, 2009, 4 congregants who have been studying for the past 18 months will participate in the FIRST ADULT B'nai Mitzvah at Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism. If you are interested in attending, just send me an email and I'll be glad to give you additional information. fran@familylaw4u.com

Houston Holistic Attorneys Happy Hour

I would like for Houston attorneys that are interested in meeting each other for fun (and absolutely no purpose) to contact me. I'm going to try to put together an evening within the next 3 months. I did one in 2008. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. If you are interested in meeting for an evening of fun and encouragement, send me an email at fran @familylaw4u.com

What is a holistic lawyer?

Good question! This has been the question that I've been pondering for the past several years. I've taken advanced collaborative law training and advanced mediation training. Before taking collaborative law training I thought that collaborative law was the answer. Unfortunately, collaborative law is great but not what I was seeking. I'd known about IAHL for many years but 2006 I joined their group and attended their annual convention. I was so impressed that I joined the 2006 board. There are many terms used... therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, and humanistic law. None of these terms seemed to "fit" me. I wanted to use my legal knowledge and training to empower my clients to make their own decisions. I wanted to help my clients in their transformation from being a couple to being a single. I wanted to save my clients money. I wanted to educate my clients about the law. I wanted to work with them to resolve their disputes without bloodshed. I wanted the public to know that judges were not God -- a judge is a "stranger" that will make binding decisions that will impact the adults and their children. I wanted my client to work with their soon to be ex to make the best decisions for their family and their unique situation. Since I've now represented up to 3 generations of the same family and since I've watched my client's children grow up, I felt like extended family. Since most of my clients are younger than my children, I feel like their grandmother. I want to use my life experience and my legal experience to blend. I felt pulled in different directions since I'm an attorney, a mediator, a mother, a mother, a friend, a religious person, etc. I wanted to blend all the parts of myself into one. Therefore, I decided to call myself a holistic attorney.

Saving money on your electricity!

TXU and Reliant Energey have pissed me off! I'm trying something new... http://franscheapenergy.igniteinc.biz I signed up and am signing up my mom. Please visit my site and sign up! Perhaps I can even save you some money!

John Paul Barnich

A man that I met almost 20 years ago, John Paul Barnich, recently passed away. We met through our mutual interest and concern regarding people living with HIV and AIDS. His passion for life was huge and definately contagious. He seemed to suck every ounce of life out of every moment. He was exceptionally bright -- with a very dry wit. The most memorial thing about John Paul is his huge "physicial presence" and his huge and contagious smile. He was a huge "bear" of a man with a matching smile. He had a "wicked" sense of humor. When I would see him all I had to say was "what's going on?" and he could make me laugh for 3o minutes. When our mutual friend, Jim Griffith, was in town a few years ago (how time flies!) we met at one of my small Mexican food "dumps" close to Chimney Rock and Bellaire Blvd. Both men agreed that the food was outstanding. We lingered over a delicious dinner. John Paul's wit was sharp that night. I laughed until I cried. The world is definately a better place because John Paul Barnich was in it. I will miss him and how he made me feel. I'm sure that he's in heaven now & causing all sorts of "havoc" and making God laugh.

Cutting Edge Law website is now open!

Kim Wright has finally gotten her website up and running. Check out this outstanding website - Cutting Edge Law.com. Kim is a well known and highly respected attorney and has made a commitment to bring her knowledge and passion to the public.

Check out my videos!!

Check out my 2 videos on: www.cuttingedgelaw.com/video/fran-brochstein-listening-clients

Free 10 minute consultation

I am willing to try to talk to everyone in Harris County that calls me. However, it's only an opportunity to see if you think that we will work together well. I can't give legal advice over the phone since I don't know all the facts in your case. There is no way that I can completely assess a case in 10 minutes.

What an attorney does?

An attorney sells you their opinion of what is going to happen in court. I've found that many people only give me the facts that will result in their winning the case. However, when I question them and begin to get all the facts, I see that they don't have a "slam dunk" case. Often, these people get mad at me because I begin to explain the weaknesses in their case. Ater practicing law over 17 years, I DON'T GUARANTEE RESULTS. Why? Because I don't know all the facts, and I don't know what mood the judge will be in when we appear in court. ANY ATTORNEY THAT GUARANTEES RESULTS SINCE NO ATTORNEY CAN DO PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL WIN!

Police reports

The little pieces of paper you receive if you call the police, really are worth much. If the police officer did not actually see or hear the abuse, it is here-say. It is much better evidence to have a person who heard, saw, tasted, smelled, etc. the actual abuse that is willing to testify in court. Anyone with personal knowledge can testify. If a police officer sees or hears anything, then you need to get their name, rank and phone number so that they can be asked to come to court to testify. NOW THAT IS POWERFUL!