Peter Thomas Koulouris | Stockton Bankruptcy Lawyer

• California, Member

My most rewarding case was in Family Law: obtaining Custody of 4 year old Daughter for Father. My client was the father of a 4 year old daughter. He was a young man, 21 years old. He worked as an auto mechanic in a highly regarded auto repair shop. I found him to be extremely well-spoken and polite. He came to see me on his lunch hour. His hands still showed signs of hard work and he was wearing the dark blue shirt of his employer with insane on it. He told me his story. He and a young lady had been living together and they had a daughter. When the child reached 4 years of age, the mother decided she wanted out of the relationship and wanted to move approximately 125 miles away to a different county to live with another man she had met. Mother filed papers in her new county requesting the court grant her primary custody of the child. Meaning, the child would live with her and the father, my client, would visit the child every other weekend. That's when my client came to see me and I came into the picture. He was extremely distraught. As I listened to him tell me his story, I kept one important question in mind: what is best for this child? Living with mom or living with dad? Because that one question guides the judge's decision. What is in this child's best interest-living with minor living with dad? As I listened to my client tell me his story, I started to mentally check the boxes in his favor. Child went to pre-school here. Check. Child's grandparents live here. Check. Child's physician and priest here. Check. Check. After listening to my client's story, it was my turn. I told him, for whatever reason, it is very rare for a father to obtain custody of his child. But, based on what he told me, I advised him that in my opinion he had a 50/50 chance of prevailing; that it could go either way. I told I would be happy to represent him but the decision to go forward was his to make and that icon not guarantee a positive outcome. He appreciated my candid assessment of his case hired me and paid my fee. My client was granted custody of his daughter and mom was granted visits. It could not have happened to a finer young man.

I built a successful law practice in a number of ways. First and foremost, by remembering that my primary role as an attorney is as a problem-solver. I know that may sound simplistic, but that's what I am. A problem-solver. Almost everyone who consults with me has a problem they need resolved. When I meet with a client for the first time, I always ask the same question: how can I help you?This helps the client focus on their problem so I can determine if and how I can help them. Another way I built a successful law practice is by charging flat fees for my services. I have never charged by the hour. My fees are reasonable. The client has a high degree of certainty as to the cost of their particular legal matter.

Experience. That is probably the most important quality when looking for an attorney. I have over 21 years experience in family law and bankruptcy matters.

Local knowledge is extremely important. Knowing the different judges and how they tend to rule gives me an insight into their thought process. Same applies to the attorneys. Knowing an attorney's practice habits helps me in assessing the situation and advising my client.

I can provide almost everything in a free phone consultation as I can in an office visit except that I can't review documents that might be important for me to review. But generally speaking, I prefer office consultations over phone contractions. But I am happy to offer phone consultations as a convenience to my clients.

Bankruptcy: I would need to know the gross and net monthly incomes of the parties. Their monthly expenses. Their total annual gross income for the previous tax year. Their monthly gross income(s) for the past 6 months. Family Law: the most important thing I would need to know if there are any court orders currently in effect. If this is a support issue I would need to know the gross monthly incomes of the parties. DUI: I would need to know what the police or arrest report says. This obviously is the most important part of DUI Defense work. It's the ""official""detailing of what took place and will determine what defense, if any, can be made in client's behalf.

My fee structure. Almost all attorneys charge their clients by the hour - usually $300 or so per hour. I don't charge by hour. I charge reasonable flat fees for my services. This gives my clients certainty as to cost and makes them comfortable in the attorney/ client relationship. Another aspect that differentiates me from other attorneys is that I view myself as a problem-solver first and an attorney second. That's how I approach my role. Example: my client was afraid she was going to lose one of her children in a move-away case. She was awarded sole custody of one child and ex-husband was awarded sole custody of the other child in their divorce which I did not handle. As we were meeting and conferring in the court hallway, it became apparent to me by listening carefully to the new wife that money was a huge consideration for her. So I asked a question to the ex-husband: would you agree to give your ex wife sole custody of your child if she were to waive spousal support from you. He said ""no"". I then said ""OK, let's go inside and let the judge decide"". I took my place in the courtroom and a minute later the new wife tapped me on the shoulder and whispered I my ear that he accepts the offer. That only happened because I listened carefully and understood what mattered most. In this case, money mattered most to the new wife and it was clear to me that she was the one in charge in her household.

Without a doubt, for me, the most rewarding part of practicing law is helping people solve their problems. Nothing else comes close.

Family, Music and Baseball. I'm a huge Beatles fan and I love baseball. The San Francisco Giants, specifically. And above all, my family. Anyone visiting my office will find Beatles and Giants memorabilia everywhere.