Robert I. Whitelaw
Divorce Law - Philadelphia, PA

If I've gained a reputation for anything, it's that I'm a straight shooter. I'm direct and honest. I tell it like it is. I'm not going to sugarcoat things to my clients. And I tell them if they want to persecute their spouse they came to the wrong place. I've heard all the stories, so nothing is really going to surprise me anymore. This person did something with this person. It's painful, I know. It's one of the reasons the Kleenex box is in my desk.

I don't let the little things dictate the outcome of a case. Don't get me wrong, I'm a detail person, but I don't let the details get in the way. People do complain about the system, that it's slow or uneven. But consider the alternatives: It's better than, say, Russia.

I do wish there was some more consistency in the outcomes. Some counties are simply more conservative - alimony granted by a judge in one county won't be granted in another. There can be a big difference in attitudes between, say, the courts in Bucks County and in Delaware County.

I'm not one of those attorneys who wants to sit in court all day long litigating everything. Obviously, I do it if I have to and I have to often, two or three days a week. But it generally is a waste of client resources. Any competent attorney knows where a case should settle. And that's the job of a competent attorney: To reach a fair and lasting settlement that serves everyone's interests.

Robert I. Whitelaw
"If I've gained a reputation for anything, it's that I'm a straight shooter. I'm direct and honest."