Paul Edward Lerandeau

I have read all of the other reviews and could not agree more with all of the positive comments. In response to the individuals who did not post positive reviews, with all due respect, I'm inclined to think there is more to you and your case than what you are revealing.

I was totally blindsided when my spouse of 15 years served me divorce papers. He had a young girlfriend & had already moved in with her unbeknownst to me. I had no family on the west coast, no money & no resources. I had three young children and had been a stay at home mom for 10 years. I was distraught. I immediately asked around for the name of the best divorce attorney in town. Two names kept coming up again and again. I went to a consultation with the first attorney. I told him that I was from the east coast & had only moved to Fresno 10 years ago for my husband's job. I had no family, no job & I wanted to go home where I would have a better chance with employment & help with my children. He informed me that a "move away order was next to impossible," I would never get it, it was messy and expensive & he didn't want to get involved with it. I met Paul the next day. He was amazing. He listened, helped me figure out where the money was going to come from & most of all, he gave me hope.

Paul and Jennifer (Byers-Lawton) walked me through every step of the process. The most profound thing Paul said to me was, "Tell the truth. Do the right things. Always do what's best for your children no matter how you feel." Paul has integrity and always encouraged me to take the high road. Paul was very honest and straightforward. He fought hard to get me a fair support order. He and Jennifer prepared me well for court and mediation situations, letting me know exactly what to expect. Paul knows family law & it was obvious that he was very well respected in court. His office staff was extremely courteous and efficient. The lines of communication were always open. Jennifer always responded in a very timely manner & was my lifeline during a very dark time. She really knows her stuff but approaches things with warmth and humor. She is the kind of person you would want to be friends with in real life. This is the kind of person Paul chooses to be his associate.

Like all good things, Paul is expensive. I won't argue that, but really, you get what you pay for. This is you life and the lives of your children we're talking about. He is worth every penny. It was a long and painful process but I know I would not be where I am today without Paul Lerandeau. I am writing this review from the east coast where my children and I now live.

Paul is a wonderful lawyer who got me everything I wanted involving the custody of my son. I will be using him in the near future as I will be headed to court again and would recommend him to anyone. I was going through a very difficult time and he did everything for me. Without him my case would have been different. Thank you Paul!!

Paul is definitely the person to call when the chips are down. He is cool, confident, and sees the big picture. I had a prior attorney who had a very difficult time getting me anything near what I was entitled to receive. Out of desperation, I asked friends for a recommendation for the best attorney they knew. They all referred me to Lerandeau & Lerandeau. Thank god they did as I had almost lost hope in my case, in myself, and was ready to give in and give everything away because I was so beaten down.
Paul did not take no for an answer. He combed all of my paperwork, made my husband substantiate all of his representations and made me hire my own forensic accountant to get a true picture of my husband’s finances. Once he had all of the information he needed, Paul was able to prove my husband made over double what he had previously represented. He is a tenacious bulldog who does not give up no matter what.

I told myself from the outset I would retain the best attorney I could afford in order to preserve my rights and protect my family, and Mr. Lerandeau delivered on all counts. His sage counsel and genuinely friendly staff were everything I could have asked for, and more. Anticipating the process to be ugly, personal and stressful, I was extremely nervous at my initial consultation. I quickly saw that Mr. Lerandeau was the exact type of person I wanted in my corner. He made me feel welcome and understood in a time when such feelings were seemingly impossible to attain. Besides his extensive experience with family law matters, Mr. Lerandeau’s genuine concern and personable nature made me feel like I had the support I needed during this very difficult time in my life.

One thing in particular I really appreciate was Paul’s ability to aggressively pursue my rights and options without the kind of rancor and spite that many times accompanies a family law dispute. In hindsight, I can definitely say that getting angry and vengeful, which was my initial sense, would have been very harmful to my children (and my case). His guidance and advice helped me keep a level head throughout, and I can say without hesitation that staying calm helped me make the best decisions for my case. Mr. Lerandeau’s staff was always available and willing to help. They always had an answer for me, an extra copy or whatever I needed whenever I needed it. They are true professionals in their own right and take their jobs very seriously. I recommend Lerandeau & Lerandeau without hesitation.

Paul very ably handled my complex child custody dispute involving three jurisdictions (including one in a foreign country), an appellate angle, and a very deep-pocketed ex. He was accessible when I called, his staff were unfailingly polite and capable, and ultimately the matter was sent to the jurisdiction where it belonged. I was impressed, and I'm a lawyer myself.

Even more importantly, he knew what his strengths were as well what he needed to defer to outsiders. He found a superb expert for me, and brought a subpoena against a branch of government that I frankly wouldn't have thought would result in a reply--but it did. That was great work.

Paul's fees were quite reasonable. And he impressed me as a fundamentally decent person who works his way through the family law courts by dint of his outstanding knowledge of the law. But also because other people--judges and opposing counsel--respect him for his forthright, fair, and results-oriented outlook.

Often family law litigants feel compelled to engage a jerk for a lawyer, which is ultimately counterproductive. Paul is not that; he is tough, and certainly not a pushover, but he was always conscious of what was in the best interests of my child (who, as it turns out, is the same age as his). The result was certainly good for me and for my family. I recommend Paul to other family law litigants without reservation.

The most important thing to me in my divorce was my children. However, I did not want to get into an ugly fight over them with my husband because I knew they would be the ones to suffer if we did. Paul was able to get me a great custody order without having to turn my case into a horrible contentious feud. He helped me through mediation and convince my husband (and his attorney) at court to agree on a custody plan. Paul is very knowledgeable about the needs of children and how they are affected by divorce. He used this knowledge and his vast experience as an attorney to negotiate a solution that worked for everybody, especially our children. Paul also did a great job on the rest of my case. He negotiated a support order and a property settlement that was fair and did so without a big fight. While the divorce was very painful, I still retain a working relationship with my ex-husband to co-parent our children thanks to Paul. I couldn’t ask for more under the circumstances.

Paul is not only a superior attorney, he and the members of his firm have a unique ability to “connect the dots” between the client, the disputes and the family legal quagmire. My divorce, while unique and emotional, was navigated by Paul and his staff with vigor, expertise and they provided a necessary calming effect. Paul’s ability to maintain relationships with all parties involved, while keeping the best interests of his client is exemplar. My divorce required an attorney that could wade through the muddy waters of emotion and see the nuanced realities and their relationship to the legal process. He brought all of it back down to earth.

My divorce included unique filings, several children and a long difficult legal road ahead. It is a comfort that Paul will continue to represent me and the best interests of my children.

I have worked with many attorneys in my personal life, but more so in my professional career and I have to say that Paul Lerandeau is without question the finest attorney that I have ever met. Simply put, he is a real stand-up guy. But what makes Paul a special attorney is his dedication to his clients, the "diplomatic tenacity" that he applies to his work ethics, and his natural ability to "think outside the box". He doesn't miss a trick. In my situation he performed what I called "Paul's magic".

I was married to a lady who was a French citizen. Prior to us getting married, with the belief that she would inherit a sizable amount of high valued property in the South of France, my soon-to-be-wife asked me to sign a prenuptial agreement. I had no problem with that. Six years later we were going through a divorce. Paul represented me in this matter. I had told Paul that we had a prenuptial agreement that was written and filed in France, but that my copy had strangely disappeared. The only information I had was that the document was written in July of 1998 by a Notary (a very high level position in France) in a small city about a two hour drive north of Aix-en-Provence. I also remembered that the city had a small "Coca Cola Memorabilla Museum" in it.

Paul wrote a letter to my estranged wife's attorney requesting a copy of the document. A few days later Paul called me and said, "I've got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I received a response from your wife's Attorney and she said that they don't know anything about any prenuptial agreement. The good news is that I found the city that you signed the prenuptial agreement in. It was in Salon-de-Provence. I also found the Notary who wrote the prenuptial agreement and he just faxed it to me. Oh ya and I just faxed it to your wife's attorney so she could have a copy too." Well I was absolutely amazed!! I'm thinking, how did he do that??

But Paul's magic wasn't over quite yet. When we went to Court for our Pre-Trial Hearing the Judge looked at the prenuptial agreement. It was written in French and it referenced French Laws. The Judge told Paul that she wanted an attorney who was a member of the California and French Bar Association to translate the document into English and explain how the French Laws related to California Laws. I thought, oh no, how do I find a guy like that? The next day Paul found that guy. At that point the show was about over. And my divorce was over too. Thank you Paul....

During the time that Paul represented me he consistently displayed the highest levels of integrity, honesty and I would have to say brilliance. If you need help with anything involving Family Law in Fresno County or maybe even anywhere in the Central Valley, do yourself a favor and call Paul Lerandeau. You'll thank me later.

Tim O'Leary

I came to the realization that just having an attorney is not enough, but having the right attorney is everything. Finding myself at 54 and being faced with the most devastating journey of my life, i.e., the demise of my 35 year marriage, I did not know where to turn for professional help. The first attorney I chose was definitely not the right one for me as he wasted a lot of my money and accomplished very little. Out of frustration, I asked an attorney/friend of mine who did not practice family law for a recommendation. He stated, and I quote, "[i]f you have a difficult case and you want to make sure you receive everything you are entitled to, Lerandeau & Lerandeau are the only family law attorneys I would consider."
The truth of this statement was quickly confirmed after retaining Lerandeau & Lerandeau. They handled my case as a team making sure that everyone understood the game plan, knew their role and when their tasks were to be completed. This approach caused my case to move forward quickly and decisively. FINALLY I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and on our first court appearance, I was more than thrilled with the results and was able to get everything I was asking for and more. I now have peace of mind and can sleep at night knowing my case will be handled by someone I completely trust.
What I appreciate from a financial stand point is that I am not always billed at the full hourly fee of my attorney. Often I am charged much less per hour depending on which member of the team is working on a particular aspect of my case. Hmmm, an attorney that tries to save you money. What a interesting concept! As a 54 year high school educated, stay at home Mom, with no real marketable skills, I was very concerned and frightened about my future. I do not have those concerns any more because the Lerandeau & Lerandeau team has surpassed all of my expectations during this most difficult time in my life.

Lerandeau Team members-

Jennifer Byers-Lawton:
Jennifer has been wonderful to work with, she is extremely knowledgeable and was assigned specific aspects of my case. I worked very closely with her to answer all of her questions so the firm could move forward effectively. Jennifer was always patient, and gave me some wonderful suggestions which helped me to make sure the legal team had everything they needed to fight for me and insure a good outcome… I really appreciated her patience with me and her willingness and ability to answer my questions in a way which enabled me to understand many of the aspects of the case which would have otherwise been way over my head.

Kimi Nishihira:
Kimi and I worked closely together in getting documents gathered and signed and lists complied. These items were essential to my case. If I was struggling with completing a needed task, because I am facing a process which is new to me and I don’t fully understand. Kimi would patiently help to get me back on track and make sure everything they needed for the process and to insure a positive outcome for me was completed and in their hands…