Stuart MacKenzie | Hayward Family Lawyer
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About Stuart
When your family dynamics change and you find yourself looking for a family law attorney, you need an attorney who can confidently handle any issue that arises in the course of your proceeding. Our firm handles family law matters from beginning to end; regardless of the twists and turns your case takes.
We have experience in a courtroom and in trying cases. While trials are not common in family law matters, many times the parties find they are unable to resolve every issue without the intervention of a judge. If your case takes that unexpected twist, we want you to feel you chose the right attorney.
We have two offices to better serve you: our main office in Hayward, and our second office in downtown Oakland. We would be happy to schedule an appointment to meet with you at whichever office is more convenient for you.
We also offer our clients the benefits of a small and friendly hands-on staff who will be familiar with your case. Feel free to call one of our offices about the additional benefits we can offer you.
-We provide evening appointments upon request.
-We aggressively represent your interests and your needs.
-We honestly feel that no case is too large or too small to devote our energies to.
Call today for your initial free consultation.
Experience
Attorney
Mackenzie & Associates
Present
California
Admission
California
1980
Education
University of California, Berkley
B.A. (Rhetoric)
1976
Recognitions & Achievements
Associations
-
Member, Alameda County Bar Association, Family Law Section ()1998-Present
Questions & Answers
Please describe a case in the last year or two where you made a big difference.
Family Law can be very stressful to the clients and it is, therefore, rare for a client to express a lot of gratitude when their case resolves. However, in the last 12 months I have had at least three cases where a client just burst into a grin and gave me a big hug after custody of their child was awarded to them. That was very gratifying to me each time it happened.
How did you build a successful practice?
Our office presently has three attorneys, two paralegals and two other support staff but it was not always this way. For a lot of years I was the only one in the office. The change from one to seven took many years and was due to working hard on my cases, getting good results, getting referrals from other attorneys and Court personnel, and, of course, through advertising. The days of the yellow page book have been replaced by our having a good presence on Google.
What should clients look for in a lawyer?
Clients should recognize that there are a few factors which they might not have considered which can affect how fast or slow their case resolves and how high their bills can go. We try to settle cases efficiently and with a minimum of litigation. This keeps costs low and means settling the case sooner than later. However, not all attorneys practice law in the same way. Not only are there differing hourly rates between attorneys but there are some who believe doing more is better. Moreover, some believe cases can only settle though going to Court and litigating. This drives up your fees since we have to deal with those tactics. Additionally, if your ex is especially angry and aggressive, this also makes settlement difficult.
How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases?
believe the importance of hiring a family law attorney who regularly practices in the Courtroom where the case is located is underappreciated. Local counsel are both familiar with how Judges generally conduct cases and, more importantly, the Judges know the attorneys and, therefore, know which ones they can rely on for accuracy and efficiency.
What information can you provide in a free phone consultation?
When we give a free initial telephone consultation we essentially try to explain the overall process that the client will embark on based on the facts the client provided us, that is, how a case proceeds, how long after filing a Motion can it be heard in Court, that the parties meet with a Family Court mediator on custody issues before going to Court etc. and, of course, what the retainer fee is and what the hourly rate is. In other words, giving the lay of the land to a newcomer to the legal system.
Additional Info
Mackenzie & Associates Highlights
Divorce & Family Law
Firm Size:
1
Firm Locations:
1