The San Mateo County firm of Harris & Fraser Law Offices in Burlingame CA was founded in 1989. Partner at Harris & Fraser, attorney Elaine Ryzak Fraser has 25 years of experience in family law cases, including alternative dispute resolution and mediation, as well as personal injury cases. She is also a skilled litigator known for her reasonable fee structure and community involvement.

Attorney Elaine Ryzak Fraser in San Mateo County—Skilled Practitioner in Family Law or Injury Claims

When it comes to divorce, child custody and visitation, you need a skilled practitioner in these fields with years of experience. And attorney Elaine Fraser is that practitioner. She tells us, "I bring 25 years of seasoned experience to every case. Because of that, my clients more easily get through the complicated issues of family law, including prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, divorce, child and spousal support, visitation, child custody and division of property and assets."

Attorney Elaine Ryzak Fraser graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1984. Early in her career, her skilled interventions and resolutions earned praise from her clients and built her reputation as the local expert in family law. In 1988 Elaine and personal injury attorney Norman Harris joined together to form Harris & Fraser Law Offices in Burlingame CA. Elaine Fraser was named a Super Lawyer for 2010, 2011, and 2012, an honor earned by only the top five percent of attorneys in California.

Harris & Fraser Law Offices Provides Alternative Dispute Resolution

Some family law attorneys limit you to only one option: litigation. But that can be expensive and damaging. So Elaine Fraser and Harris & Fraser Law Offices allows you to choose less stressful alternatives that can be better, and less costly. Elaine says, "Years ago, litigation was the only option. But alternative dispute resolution, collaborative practice and mediation are wonderful alternatives for many clients. We have expertise in all of these forms, so clients can choose the most appropriate path for their circumstances. That's important because often, litigation isn't our clients' first choice. Instead, they'd rather maintain the integrity of their family unit rather than pulling their family even further apart."

In these cases, Elaine Ryzak Fraser assembles a collaborative practice team or acts as a neutral mediator. She explains, "In collaborative practice, both parties enter an agreement not to go to court. Then we put together a team based on their specific needs that will listen to their interests and help them navigate through the process as a family to arrive at the best result."

Examples of her commitment to these alternatives to litigation and of her expertise with them include her membership in the Collaborative Practice of San Mateo County and her assistance to the Family Law Advisory Board of the San Mateo County Superior Court. She also serves on the Alternative Dispute Resolution MAP Oversight Committee, the Judicial Arbitration Panel and Advisory Committee, the Civil and Probate Advisory Committee, and the San Mateo County Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee.

Attorney Elaine Fraser: An Expert If Litigation is Necessary

Sometimes litigation becomes absolutely necessary to protect your interests or those of your children, but many attorneys have too little expertise in litigation and so they avoid it, preferring to settle even when it's not in your best interest.

Unlike attorneys without enough experience in a courtroom, Elaine Fraser has as much experience and skill in the court room as she does in the conference room. She says, "Litigation is where I started, and it's still a big part of my practice. I've represented people in public court and in front of private judges, and I've done jury trials, so I have trial skills honed by years of experience."

In fact, Elaine Ryzak Fraser is a long-running Board of Director with the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association, and served as president in 2007. She also is a Judicial Arbitrator for the San Mateo County Superior Court and serves as a panelist for the San Francisco Superior Court Pre-Arbitration Settlement Conferences for personal injury cases.

Reasonable Fees at Harris & Fraser Law Offices in Burlingame CA

It's expensive to hire a cheap family law attorney. Less experienced attorneys can make mistakes that cost you big when it comes to dividing assets and support payments. Paying fair and reasonable fees for a truly experienced attorney can save you time and money. But lawyer fees don't have to be huge. Elaine Fraser can use a full-time associate and assistant who perform paralegal duties for research and paperwork at a lower hourly rate than her own to save clients money. Elaine still oversees to guarantee that clients are getting the best service and outcome possible. She says, "I always do a final review to make sure even the smallest details are right."

Community Involvement By Attorney Elaine Ryzak Fraser

Elaine Ryzak Fraser has lived in San Mateo for most of her life, and has strong ties to the community. She's raised two daughters here, and she still lives a few blocks from the high school she and her daughters attended. Elaine has a passion for staying active, having participated in three half-marathons in support of blood cancer research, and she stays energized with Zumba, Pilates and her love for baseball. Most of all, she says, she enjoys wonderful friendships and strong relationships with her daughters.

Clients describe Elaine as caring, kind and experienced. They appreciate her tailored approach to their family's unique needs.

So 25 years of experience lets attorney Elaine Fraser at Harris & Fraser Law Offices give options for each client whether mediation, dispute resolution alternatives or litigation, reasonable fees including options for lower rates on research and paperwork and expertise that allows her to tailor an effective solution to each client's unique situation.