The Santa Clara County firm of Carpenter & Mayfield in San Jose CA is headed by partners Constance Carpenter and Dan Mayfield. Constance Carpenter has 29 years of experience and has handled many hundreds of divorce and family law cases, and practices in family court, juvenile court, and probate court. We interviewed attorney Constance Carpenter to learn how the practice has built a reputation for results and fairness since Carpenter & Mayfield opened in Santa Clara County in 1982. She cited keeping promises, equitable settlements, and fair fees. And she's giving $250 off to readers of this Report who call now and say they saw it here.

Fair Fees from Carpenter & Mayfield in San Jose CA

Many attorneys charge extra fees for every single interaction, leading to thousands of dollars in additional cost to clients over the course of a marriage dissolution. Worse still, all of those charges can be a surprise to clients who were led to believe the divorce would cost less than it really did. Attorney Constance Carpenter explained that's why Carpenter & Mayfield is honest and upfront about total costs with a clear fee agreement so clients understand how they're billed and the real cost of representation.

Carpenter & Mayfield also keeps costs down by making sure clients don't waste time and money litigating factors that don't get results. Constance says, "We let our clients know when not to litigate their feelings or personal agendas. Those items don't have monetary value so you'll never get back what you spend litigating. What should be litigated is property, financial issues and custody matters. We help clients see other ways to work out hurt feelings that are less expensive than litigation."

Realistic Expectations From Carpenter & Mayfield in Santa Clara County

Some lawyers make unrealistic promises just to get your business, such as guaranteeing you'll get full child custody or keep the house, when in truth they have no control over the end ruling. And those clients have paid much more in legal fees than they had to because they were encouraged to go through the whole costly process leading to a court ruling, when they could have started by coming up with a mutual agreement and avoid that process entirely.

Unlike those firms, Carpenter & Mayfield is honest with clients. Constance tells us, "It's possible to guess at the outcome of a case based on what we've seen judges do in similar situations, so we let clients see all the possible outcomes. Then we're honest with them and only make promises we can keep."

Full-scale representation isn't necessary for everyone. Instead, they may only need minimal services or guidance through mediation and settling out of court. For these clients, Carpenter & Mayfield provides hourly consultation fees that still allow your interests to be protected. Constance Carpenter says, "Even in amicable splits with no contested issues or property to divide, there are issues that can be confusing or missed if individuals don't consult a lawyer. So we will meet with them and make sure their paperwork is filled out correctly and that each party understands the terms they're agreeing to."

A modest consultation cost now to draw on the experience of a lawyer in these instances avoids big costs later when problems result from going it alone. Constance says, "Every year, I see people who originally decided not to seek representation during an amicable divorce and a major issue was left out or not handled correctly, and is now causing them trouble. You especially want items concerning real estate, pensions, 401k plans and child support done right, because if they aren't, you can waste a lot of money trying to sort them out in the future."

Fair Representation for Mediation and Litigation from Carpenter & Mayfield

Some attorneys are overly-aggressive and push to litigate every case, which can be very expensive for clients. Others are afraid to go to court due to inability or inexperience, so they rush clients to settle out of court when they shouldn't. Instead of those extremes, you want a fair-minded lawyer who will settle out of court when it saves you money while protecting your interests, but is also an effective litigator if it becomes necessary.

Constance tells us, "At Carpenter and Mayfield, we settle cases when that's better for our client; and when they can't be settled fairly, we are comfortable representing clients in court to get them what they deserve. Unnecessary litigation can hurt families irreparably but if some issues can't be mediated, clients need justice. We strike the right balance that gets clients a good outcome and is still fair to their family."

San Jose Attorney Constance Carpenter: Serving the Needs of the Community

Attorney Constance Carpenter is known for her professional activities and community service. She and firm partner Dan Mayfield are frequently asked by the court to represent individuals in peace and justice rights cases. Constance also specializes in custody cases and representing battered women. She says, "All of these types of representation are a part of our practice. They're part of the fabric of our firm as a community law practice that serves the needs of our community."

Constance has particular expertise in the representation of grandparents, foster parents and other interested parties in child custody, guardianship, adoption and juvenile dependency matters. In recognition of her experience and skill, Santa Clara County Superior Court judges have appointed Constance to represent children in many highly-contested family law and probate guardianship custody and visitation cases. Other lawyers have such high regard for her fair consideration of cases that they often call her for advice and opinions on complicated cases.

Carpenter & Mayfield partners Constance Carpenter and Dan Mayfield also are active in training other lawyers. Constance presents seminars for the Pro Bono Project, and she teaches classes through the Santa Clara County Bar Association on the representation of children, domestic partnership issues, guardianship classes and other continuing education classes. Constance says, "We enjoy making the practice of law in our community better by being mentors, teachers and resources for other attorneys."

For 29 years, clients have chosen the Santa Clara County firm of Carpenter & Mayfield in San Jose CA for the fair representation, realistic expectations, and reasonable fees that attorney Constance Carpenter is known for. And readers of this Report are getting $250 off by calling now and saying they saw it here.