Compassion lies at the very heart of what lawyers do every day, particularly in cases pertaining to divorce, custody and other areas of family law. After all, how can an attorney wholeheartedly advocate for a client if not truly compassionate toward the client’s situation and sensitive to how the case’s outcome will affect the client’s future?
The attorneys of Gordon Liebmann, a family law firm based in Newtown, understand this better than most. The firm has built its reputation on having genuine compassion and empathy for its clients, but this is hardly the firm’s only distinguishing characteristic. Each of the firm’s legal professionals possesses a thorough knowledge of the ever-changing field of family law, with decades of experience both in and out of the courtroom. Also, each has an uncommon devotion to resolving disputes to its clients’ satisfaction.
A Team of Experienced Professionals
Gordon Liebmann was formed in 2008 when Jeffrey A. Liebmann merged his practice with the practice of another respected attorney, Patricia Gordon. Their objective: to provide superior family law services to residents of Bucks County, particularly those living in and around Newtown. Since then, Gordon has transitioned to part-time status as an “of counsel” attorney, while Liebmann has become the firm’s sole shareholder.
While each individual attorney at Gordon Liebmann has an impressive C.V., the firm often approaches cases as a team. In fact, Liebmann believes the firm’s collective experience sets Gordon Liebmann apart from other law firms.
“It takes a team to effectively represent someone in a family law setting because of the intensity of the situation and the need on the part of the client to have regular and continual contact with their attorney and attorney’s office,” he says. “Every person in this office can help every single person that contacts us—even immediately, if that’s what they require. That is critical from the perspective of the client, and it’s comforting to them as well.”
In addition to Liebmann and Gordon, the team of legal professionals includes David J. Sowerbutts, an attorney with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of legal disciplines, and Mindy J. Snyder, a family law attorney with more than 25 years of experience who joined the firm in 2014. Such experience has given the firm’s attorneys a deep appreciation of the fact that clients are entrusting their future to them—and this is a responsibility the attorneys do not take lightly.
“We never take for granted what it took for someone to get up the courage to come in and meet with us for the first time,” Liebmann says. “Months and sometimes years of pain, heartache and even abuse have brought them to the point of just coming in to discuss their options. We must always be sensitive to that. Above all else, these are real people going through life-altering problems that they never thought in their wildest dreams they would be going through.
“At the point at which they finally come in to see us, they are scared, overwhelmed and see no light at the end of the tunnel,” he continues. “Most importantly, we must be sensitive to the fact that these people are terrified at the prospect of their financial futures and the future of their families.”
Even after practicing family law for nearly 25 years, Liebmann treats each new case as sacred. “It is still humbling that someone who has just met me an hour and a half before entrusts us with the future of their family,” he says. “We take a great deal of pride in ensuring that this trust is deserved and earned.”
Because the decisions made in these disputes will have lasting effects, Sowerbutts says the team helps clients look past their present situation, toward a better and healthier future. More importantly, the firm works relentlessly to help each client attain an outcome that will make such a future possible.
“Our clients often call us during extreme circumstances,” Sowerbutts says. “They have concerns about critical issues including their children, their financial survival and their physical safety. Under such circumstances, prompt and accurate answers and advice are most important. An attorney will talk with [a client] on the phone to address any immediate issues and an appointment will be scheduled as quickly as possible.”
An unwavering commitment to serving clients’ needs guides the attorneys in everything they do, according to Liebmann.
“Our commitment to our clients is to provide first-rate legal representation and to be zealous advocates on their behalf,” he says. “Our commitment is also to make sure that the client and their family come out of [a legal issue] with their matter resolved to their satisfaction and without the need for additional attorney intervention in their future.”
‘The Most Important Decision’
While other firms often have one or more attorneys who handle family law concerns, Gordon Liebmann is unique in that it works almost exclusively in family law. All three full-time attorneys at the practice have decades of family law experience, so even if a specific attorney is tied up in court, there is almost always someone available who can answer questions or assist with emergency needs.
“We are one of the very few firms in the country to practice family law exclusively,” Liebmann says. “It is because we limit our practice to family law that I feel our clients get very specialized and focused representation. Every employee here, from legal assistants to the paralegals to the attorneys themselves have years and years of experience dealing with individuals going through the turmoil of divorce or any other family law matter. If a particular attorney is unavailable on a particular day, any other person in the office can step in to assist.”
In matters of divorce, custody and related situations, a family’s future often hinges on a case’s outcome. Liebmann believes hiring the right attorney—one with experience, compassion and a commitment to helping clients move forward—can make all the difference.
“I tell every person that I meet with for the first time that the decision as to who they hire to represent them in any family law matter is perhaps the most important decision they will ever make,” Liebmann says. “The client should feel comfortable with the attorney—comfortable that they can talk to them, comfortable that they have the experience to deal with the complexities of their matter, and comfortable knowing their matter will get the attention it deserves.”
Gordon Liebmann Attorneys at Law
4 Terry Drive, Suite 4
Newtown, PA 18940
215-860-8200 | www.glfamilylaw.com
Photograph by Allure West Studios
