Attorney Tim Conlon of TJC • ESQ, a leading family law firm in Rhode Island, was recently called upon to make sense of a complex client case. Thanks to his efforts, state-of-the-art technology used for each case, and his impeccable ability to find hidden assets, the client ended up with a much better case result than it looked like she was initially going to get.
Withdrawing Counsel & Lowballed Settlements
Mrs. Doe – a pseudonym used to maintain client privacy and case confidentiality – was not gaining much positive ground and had a breakdown in communication with previous legal counsel. Recognizing the situation was not unfolding well , she sought other counsel, who upon seeing the scope of the problem, pressed to involve Tim Conlon of TJC • ESQ in late December 2017. The breakdown in communication between Doe and her prior counsel arose out of a proposed settlement, which the opposing counsel representing her husband suggested she “had to” take. The opposing counselor even went as far as to insult Doe’s integrity and dignity. The opposing counsel filed a motion with the Court stating that Doe should be seen as “unreasonable” if she refused the settlement, and also suggested that if she was not going to take his “generous” offer, a guardian should be appointed for her.
TJC • ESQ Steps In & Takes Over
Tim discussed getting involved in Doe’s case to guide her to a fair victory. TJC • ESQ agreed to take on the litigation, with the referring attorney remaining to support the client and deal with the opposition more directly. Attorney Conlon filed a motion seeking to advance fees and engaged in an extensive analysis of the settlement, assets, and various corporate entities through which the husband did business as a private investor. This was a fantastic situation for our abilities to shine and be put to good use, as we are known throughout Rhode Island as leading lawyers when it comes to finding hidden assets, and analyzing complex financial records.
Greater Settlement & Alimony Secured by Tim Conlon
Within six weeks of entering the order granting our motion, we had deposed the husband and secured an agreement to pay a total that exceeded the proposal that he had been trying to force upon her – by $998,000. The first $618,000 was paid upfront, and the balance remained as additional alimony, adding another $380,000 to the amount to have been paid under the so-called generous offer she was criticized for balking at just weeks before. The divorce agreement was rewritten to provide these additional terms in the courtroom on what was to have been our second day of trial. The case was settled on the spot with the rewritten terms, securing a great win for Mrs. Doe, who nearly got shorted out of sizeable finances she deserved.
Tracking Down Hidden & Complicated Assets with Ease
In this instance, the husband had created and abandoned so many corporate entities that just tracking them and the various movements of property within corporate shells required some sophisticated Excel spreadsheets, a review of public records and data analytics. To clarify what was happening and why, we ran reports showing transfers that were not for value, as well as other reports demonstrating differences between appraised values and actual sales. Since Mrs. Doe could see the data we were collecting through our online system, it helped her get ‘in the loop’ on the issues and the discussions. She no longer felt like a bystander in her own divorce.
Once the inequities of the deal were revealed, the other side saw that they had to build more money into the deal to make it fly. Obviously, the money helped make the deal work, but the fact that the client saw herself as a part of the process really improved the situation by leaps and bounds. We placed her documents online and enabled her to make comments on them or ask questions through the system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The transparency that our system provides our clients is critical to reassuring them that we are on the same page and the right track.
Would you like to know more about TJC • ESQ, Tim Conlon, and how our firm uses advanced technology to empower our clients or find hidden assets? Do you need the help of our Rhode Island family lawyers for a case of your own? Call us at 401-400-4254 to request an initial consultation.
