Robert Chang | San Leandro Family Lawyer

I was able to assist a client in getting full custody of her children in a situation where Father was being violent and my client needed a restraining order to protect herself and her children.

I have been living in the East Bay for more than a decade and consider San Leandro my home. I know the neighborhood well, and it is where my children are growing up. Many of my client's are local people who go to the same school as my children and we have a lot in common, even though we might be from different backgrounds. I am proud to be a member of a place where the residents care about their community and the foundation to that is having a strong family, whether divorced or not. I try to convey this to my clients, I think this attitude gets through, and is part of why they trust me.

Having a lawyer is like getting married; you are going to be with this person for a long time, and it can be a good experience, or a terrible experience. Because of the emotional situations that come up, I tend to have to problem solve in a way that makes my clients happy but at the same time, serves the larger purpose of making sure that it doesn't create additional negativity that can add fuel to even more litigation.

Having local knowledge is extremely important. Knowing the property values in a certain neighborhood is essential to being able to quickly assess assets. Knowing where certain people are employed can give an idea of the income of a spouse. Where the children go to school, and the relative strengths of the schools is very important. Oftentimes, one parent in a divorce has to move to another city, and knowing the area will determine which might be the better option for what my clients value for their children.

I generally can explain the process of a divorce, depending on the issues. All divorce cases deal with property, children, or alimony, or some combination of the three. Being able to narrow what issues will be addressed can give me an idea to provide an estimate of the cost (a huge consideration for most middle class families) and what additional information or documents I need to give more specific information.

I usually don't require much information because I try to provide general information. I'll give people a prediction assuming they have some financial figures for me but those are only guesses and not reliable. Most prospective clients just want a general ballpark. Until I see the documents, it is irresponsible to provide real advice. Sometimes people underestimate or overestimate what they have, or what they owe in credit cards, or what their spouse's income is. A house can be worth a million dollars but if there is a 1.5 million dollar mortgage, it is not an asset, it is a liability. Any advice I give would be worthless, if not actually harmful, if I based advice knowing about the house, but not about the mortgage.

I have been in San Leandro for a long time, and most of my friends were born and grew up here. I have lived at various times in Oakland, Berkeley, and Fremont. I know the area well, and most of my clients are from this area.

I love being able to be with a client at the beginning of a case when it feels like the world is crumbling, and seeing them grow and become stronger during the process. Every end is a new beginning. Divorce is one of the most painful and stressful experiences that someone can go through, and being able to resolve this for them, and seeing them start a new life is inspiring to me.

I like to do yoga to relax and keep my mind focused on my own family when I am not at work. It is not easy to not have work spill over into your personal life, and meditation and yoga help me do that. I also enjoy reading and writing, and am hoping to write a novel some day.

I take pro bono cases through the county bar association, usually with landlord tenant cases and bankruptcy cases. I also try to attend the local San Leandro city council meetings and try to be involved in the issues that can help improve my neighborhood.

• Alameda County Bar Association | Member | 2011 - Present

• Client Review | American Institute of Family Law Attorneys | 2016
  Deans List | Thomas Jefferson School of Law | 2008

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