Song Family Law, APLC - Orange, CA

Featured Review

"I highly recommend Mr. Song as he is a very competent attorney; he will listen to what you hope to achieve; he will then explain clearly how the law affects your case and what he can do to help you achieve your goals. Mind you, just because you..." "I highly recommend Mr. Song as he is a very competent attorney; he will listen to what you hope to achieve; he will then explain clearly how the law affects your case and what he can do to help you achieve your goals. Mind you, just because you want something doesn’t mean you will get it. The law in California is pretty specific on some matters. My divorce languished in the court system for 7 years. My former husband and I completed all the work on our case except spousal support and division of retirement accounts. The retirement accounts weren’t an issue. We just could not agree on the spousal support. Before retaining Mr. Song, four other attorneys represented me. One attorney quit with no notice when my former husband hired a law firm with a reputation for being very difficult. While looking for new counsel, several attorneys declined to represent me because of this firm. Mr. Song wasn’t thrilled about having to deal with the firm, but he agreed to represent me. I had a very large case file, Mr. Song was quick to review the large volume of information in my case file. Unlike other attorneys I hired in the past, Mr. Song listened carefully to what I wanted to achieve, and he thoroughly addressed all of my questions. Mr. Song then explained points of law to me regarding spousal support. He then formulated a strategy for my case based on my objectives. Where the other attorneys were only interested in accumulating billable hours, Mr. Song was very conscientious about working productively to keep my legal expenses in check. This meant our agreeing on objectives; my approving course of actions and then allowing Mr. Song to do his job. Mr. Song was also very tactful in informing me about the law when I demanded something unreasonable or became upset during negotiations. Negotiations are very emotional and stressful; Mr. Song kept me focused on our objectives during the hours-long negotiations hearing. In this way, we were both productive and very successful. In the end, my former spouse and I were able to meet our objective to settle out of court. I do not exaggerate when I state my previous attorney was so preoccupied with ways to rack up billable hours that he spent no time on the particulars of my case. By contrast, Mr. Song was solely focused on the particulars—specifically the Family Code 4320 factors that the court must consider when determining spousal support in a marriage of long duration. My previous attorney point-blank stated I “better be prepared to accept” a stated amount of spousal support without even discussing 4320 factors or even discussing any particulars about my case. Then without my knowledge or consent told opposing counsel he was drafting a settlement counteroffer on my behalf. I learned about the unauthorized offer from my former husband. I fired that attorney and hired Mr. Song. Mr. Song drafted a brief that addressed all the related 4320 factors. He then had me review it. We took it through several edits. As a result of that brief, Mr. Song’s preparations, and his representation at the voluntary settlement hearing, Mr. Song was able to negotiate a final monthly spousal amount that is $3000 per month MORE than the amount my previous attorney stated I had “better be prepared to accept”. My experience with Mr. Song and the last attorney shows how much can be lost with poor legal representation. The last attorney has a fancy office, charges significantly more per hour, and advertises himself as an attorney for clients with high assets. Yet, he did no work despite billing me over $12,000—didn’t even file all the income, assets, and debt statements. Mr. Song is not only a great family law attorney who will actually work for his clients, but he is an ethical man. " Read the full review