Roman Kostenko | Phoenix Divorce & Family Law Lawyer

Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire

Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference.
The most significant role I played in someone else’s life was in a family law case where I assisted a father who was ill with cancer and through my involvement in the case he was able to modify parenting time to have equal access to the children. He was very grateful for my assistance in his case and his review of my services was very touching:

“This gentleman is not only a great attorney, he is a great man ! Those my friends are hard to find these Days... He CARES !! He knows the law inside and out. He is always prepared and ready for battle. He is prepared in the court room and he does not let the other attorney push him around. He just recently got my monthly child support payments reduced. He also succeeded at getting me 50/50 Joint custody of my two kids 10 & 13. This was after 8 years of having them every other weekend, which only happened 50% of the time. I now get them every other week for an entire week. So don't give up ! Call the Right Attny the first time. Call Mr. Kostenko”

Unfortunately, upon conclusion of this case, my client lived only a few short months. However, I am very grateful that I had an opportunity to help him to feel as a parent with equal rights and to spend as much time with his children before passing.

How did you build a successful practice?
Building a successful practice is an ongoing process for me. You are never done. For a lawyer, the essential aspects of success are knowledge, experience and value that we provide to our clients in return for legal fees. Legal profession has always been considered a service profession and I like to see myself as a servant for my clients. I take time to understand their needs and then I put my skills to work on accomplishing my clients’ goals. Every work experience and every case or matter I handle makes me a more experienced attorney. What I learn from prior cases, I put to work for the benefit of my clients who follow. I also constantly stay up to date with continuous legal education and attend dozens of educational legal seminars beyond the minimum requirements of the State Bar.

What should clients look for in a lawyer?
First and foremost, a client needs his or her attorney to be experienced and proficient in the subject area of law. When speaking to an attorney, you should be receiving a very objective evaluation of your case or position, with all cons and pros explained to you. A good lawyer should be able to explore several courses of action for a client and explain their possible outcomes. I had to hire several attorneys when I was going through a divorce, some were a money drain with very little value in return, another attorney was a zealous advocate with a very good credibility reputation. I aspire to be like him in many aspects. The attorney I wanted for myself was a good litigator, smart, creative, fair, objective, efficient, credible, someone who did not give in into my emotions and controlled my positions in the case so that they were always reasonable. After experiencing what it is like to be a party to a lawsuit, I strive to be an attorney with the qualities that I would want in an attorney myself.

What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?
In every free initial consultation, I provide as much information and legal knowledge as possible. This is my moment to introduce myself and to show to you that I am knowledgeable about the area of law you are inquiring about. I evaluate your case or situation, I objectively tell my potential clients what they can expect in litigation or a transaction, and I advise them whether or not they need an attorney in their situation. On numerous occasions, I provided free information to people who contact me on how to resolve their matter on their own. If your case is complex, I will be candid with you and provide information regarding potential outcomes and chances of success. My motto is “Providing You With Peace of Mind.” When someone calls for a free consultation, they can be assured that their question will be answered and they will get peace of mind that they did not have before they called me.

What information do you need in a free phone consultation?
Most importantly, facts. If you call for a consultation, I want you to quickly tell me the nature of your question and what you are trying to accomplish. After that, I want you to be a good listener and to provide me with answers to my questions. When a potential client calls me, in every call, I very quickly take control of the conversation and ask for only relevant information. Once I get it from the caller, I am able to answer your questions and to provide guidance.

What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community?
I cannot speak about every attorney in my community as lawyers are as diverse as the population in general. My personal focus is not on distinguishing myself from others, but rather on providing a very personable caring legal service to my clients. Having been in the shoes of a legal client before, I am very sympathetic to all of my clients. Having have to hire an attorney usually involves a not very pleasant situation that a client is in. I strive to be a good and effective advocate for my clients and fight for their rights. When my client is treated unfairly, it personally affects me and I fight tooth and nail to restore fairness and justice. I always care about the end result for my client in any case or matter. Unfortunately, through experience, I have found out that there are many lawyers who are passive in handling cases for their clients and do not fight to advance the best interests of their client, or allow to be pushed around by opposing counsel. I take every case personally, I put myself in the shoes of my clients, and I represent my clients as I would wanted to be represented myself.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
Providing peace of mind to those who seek my services. Practically every legal matter involves a stressful situation, something that may even wake you up at night and make you ponder of what the future holds in your case. Lack of knowledge causes fear and uncertainty. When clients reach out to me, my job is to dissipate that fear and uncertainty and to give them peace of mind, a clear direction, and, of course, hope. Being part of this process and helping individuals to see clearly is the most rewarding aspect of my practice. In addition, obtaining favorable results for my clients is the icing on that cake.

What are your other interests in addition to law?
I like to travel and learn more about other cultures. I like outdoors and try to explore the surrounding world with my family as much as possible.

• College of the State Bar of Texas | Member | 2017 - Present
  State Bar of Texas | Member | 2017 - Present
  ITT Technical Institute, Program Advisory Committee (Paralegal Division) | Advisor | 2011 - Present
  Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce | Member | 2011 - Present
  Maricopa County Bar Association | Member | 2011 - Present
  U.S. District Court for Southern District of California | Member | 2010 - Present
  U.S. District Court for Central District of California | Member | 2010 - Present
  U.S. District Court, District of Arizona | Member | 2006 - Present
  State Bar of Arizona | Member | 2006 - Present
  State Bar of California | Member | 2003 - Present
  Ohio State Bar Association | Member | 2002 - Present

• Excellence for the Future Awards: Mergers and Acquisitions | CALI | 2002
  Outstanding Academic Achievement in Civil Liberties | Robert D. Kensey Memorial | 2002
  Excellence for the Future Awards: Legal Profession | CALI | 2001
  Outstanding Student in Torts | Anderson Publishing Company | 2001
  Excellence for the Future Awards: Torts | CALI | 2000
  Excellence for the Future Awards: Writing, Research, Advocacy | CALI | 2000

• Tsai v. WRI/San Marcos LLC, D048059 (Cal.App. 5/1/2007)
  A case involving breach of a commercial lease agreement.

• “Are ‘Contemporary Community Standards’ No Longer Contemporary?” Cleveland State Law Review, Vol. 49, Number 1, 2001

 Also available by appointment

• Roman Kostenko - website - Texas
• Roman Kostenko - website - Arizona
• Roman Kostenko
• Roman Kostenko - Avvo