Alan W. MetcalfAttorney
PRACTICE AREAS
Alan W. Metcalf is an experienced and highly aggressive attorney who has been focusing on Family Law ever since joining Patterson Law Firm in 1986. Having personally undergone a divorce, Alan has gained an empathy for his clients that runs deeper than the majority of divorce attorneys. His experience as a divorced parent as well as a member of a blended family has provided him with an intimate understanding and insight into the personal aspects of child custody and related legal issues. He has sole custody of a teenage daughter and has successfully raised five stepchildren into adulthood, boasting close and ongoing relationships with each of them. Alan has a soft spot for the many clients who come to him after having gone through one or more previous divorce lawyers and he also feels for clients who, simply by virtue of their kindness, are being manipulated and taken advantage of by the spouse they have divorced or are in the process of divorcing.
BAR ADMISSIONS
California U.S. Federal Court
U.S. Tax Court
EDUCATION
Western State University
College of Law, Fullerton, JD
Q&A WITH FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY ALAN W. METCALF
Describe your approach to a case.
We deal with each case specific to the people and facts involved. With regard to unreasonable persons, I stand in between them and the victim—making sure the latter is fully represented and their rights protected.
If a party or their attorney is being unreasonably difficult, an aggressive approach may be called for to move the case forward. Conversely, two reasonable clients can generally obtain good results with a peaceful mediation process.
What is your experience?
My thousands of court appearances, hearings and trials over the past 33 years have taught me what a judge is likely to do in any given situation. I save my clients time and expense by suggesting which avenues to pursue and which to forsake. I have turned around hundreds of cases that were going in the wrong direction due to the inexperience of prior counsel.
What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am committed to insuring that children spend time with the most reasonable parent. I am also dedicated to resolving issues as quickly as possible.
What excites you most about your work and the contributions you make?
I really enjoy standing up for the person who has always given in to the other, more difficult, party. It’s amazing how many really nice men and women are, or were, married to a very unreasonable person. It’s gratifying when a nice client of mine is awarded at least 50 percent of the assets as well as the majority of the child’s time.