Attorney's DeWitt & Wilson

The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street. Lawyers form the backbone of this system, linking it to society in numerous ways. They hold positions of great responsibility and are obligated to adhere to a strict code of ethics.

Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors in our society. As advocates, they represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters. Whether acting as an advocate or an advisor, all attorneys research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the law to the specific circumstances faced by their clients.

Lawyers Focus on Practice Areas

The more detailed aspects of a lawyer’s job depend upon his or her field of specialization and position. Although all lawyers are licensed to represent parties in court, some appear in court more frequently than others. Trial lawyers, who specialize in trial work, must be able to think quickly and speak with ease and authority. In addition, familiarity with courtroom rules and strategy is particularly important in trial work. Still, trial lawyers spend the majority of their time outside the courtroom, conducting research, interviewing clients and witnesses, and handling other details in preparation for a trial.

Lawyers may specialize in a number of areas, such as bankruptcy, probate, international, elder, or environmental law. Those specializing in environmental law, for example, may represent interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal and State agencies. These lawyers help clients prepare and file for licenses and applications for approval before certain activities may occur. Some lawyers specialize in the growing field of intellectual property, helping to protect clients’ claims to copyrights, artwork under contract, product designs, and computer programs. Other lawyers advise insurance companies about the legality of insurance transactions, guiding the company in writing insurance policies to conform to the law and to protect the companies from unwarranted claims. When claims are filed against insurance companies, these attorneys review the claims and represent the companies in court.

Most lawyers are in private practice, concentrating on criminal or civil law. In criminal law, lawyers represent individuals who have been charged with crimes and argue their cases in courts of law. Attorneys dealing with civil law assist clients with litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles, and leases. Other lawyers handle only public-interest cases—civil or criminal—concentrating on particular causes and choosing cases that might have an impact on the way law is applied. Lawyers are sometimes employed full time by a single client. If the client is a corporation, the lawyer is known as “house counsel” and usually advises the company concerning legal issues related to its business activities. These issues might involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests, or collective bargaining agreements with unions.

A significant number of attorneys are employed at the various levels of government. Some work for State attorneys general, prosecutors, and public defenders in criminal courts. At the Federal level, attorneys investigate cases for the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies. Government lawyers also help develop programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, establish enforcement procedures, and argue civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government.

Other lawyers work for legal aid societies—private, nonprofit organizations established to serve disadvantaged people. These lawyers generally handle civil, rather than criminal, cases.

Lawyers increasingly use various forms of technology to perform more efficiently. Although all lawyers continue to use law libraries to prepare cases, most supplement conventional printed sources with computer sources, such as the Internet and legal databases. Software is used to search this legal literature automatically and to identify legal texts relevant to a specific case. In litigation involving many supporting documents, lawyers may use computers to organize and index material. Lawyers must be geographically mobile and able to reach their clients in a timely matter, so they might use electronic filing, web and videoconferencing, and voice-recognition technology to share information more effectively.

Work environment. Lawyers do most of their work in offices, law libraries, and courtrooms. They sometimes meet in clients’ homes or places of business and, when necessary, in hospitals or prisons. They may travel to attend meetings, gather evidence, and appear before courts, legislative bodies, and other authorities. They may also face particularly heavy pressure when a case is being tried. Preparation for court includes understanding the latest laws and judicial decisions.

Salaried lawyers usually have structured work schedules. Lawyers who are in private practice may work irregular hours while conducting research, conferring with clients, or preparing briefs during nonoffice hours. Lawyers often work long hours; of those who work full time, about 37 percent work 50 hours or more per week.

Deborah D. Wilson and Deborah A. Walker-Dewitt are Lockport attorneys, whose firm's focus has been on custody, divorce and personal injury.

When looking for a custody attorney, divorce attorney, personal injury attorney think the law firm of Walker-Dewitt & Wilson.

The law office of Deborah D. Wilson and Deborah A. Walker-Dewitt has over 40 years experience focusing on matrimonial and family law.  The firm understands the emotional stress and concerns you face when family issues arise. We provide personal attention and skilled services to attain the best possible result for you and your family.

What is Family Law:  it is an area of law that deals with all aspects of family relations.  Family law encompasses; adoption, child custody and visitation, children's rights, child support, marriage and premarital agreements, separation agreements, divorce, spousal support (alimony), marital property division, elder law matters, general estate planning, cohabitation agreements, and other legal issues pertinent to the family.

We can help address the questions regarding divorce, separation and prenuptial agreements.  We also provide marital mediation services, a cost-effective and less adversarial alternative to traditional divorce and separation proceedings.  Deborah D. Wilson and Deborah A. Walker-Dewitt are compassionate attorneys who are experienced in sensitive family court matter such as custody and visitation, paternity cases and child support and maintenance payments.

We appreciate the anxiety caused by these difficult matters and our goal is to ensure that each client gets treated with the level of professionalism that they deserve.

Areas of Focus:

Divorce
Separation
Custody
Grandparent Custody & Visitation Rights
Grandparent Rights
Guardianship
Visitation
Paternity
Adoptions
Child Protection Proceedings
Prenuptial Agreements
Relocation
Restraining Orders
Retirement Account Distribution (QDRO's)
Name Changes

If you are facing criminal charges, you have the right to speak with a defense attorney about your case.

Whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges, if you have been arrested or are suspected of a crime, a criminal lawyer can help you protect your rights with the police and in court.  Our firm Deborah D. Wilson and Deborah A. Walker-Dewitt are dedicated to defending the rights of the accused and are committed to the presumption of innocence.  Even in less serious cases, a good criminal defense attorney can make a serious impact on the outcome of the case by ensuring that the rights of the accused are protected throughout the legal process.  For these and other reasons, it is vital that those accused of a crime select the most competent, experienced and effective attorney available.

If you have been accused of a crime, please contact us today for a free consultation.

Personal injury

Have you been hurt in an accident?

Are you worried what this may mean to you and your family?

Are you worried how you are going to pay the bills if you can't work?

Or maybe, because you're hurt and can't work, you might even lose your job.

If the questions above are similar to yours, and you're having problems answering them, I have two suggestions.

It is very important to make sure you've documented exactly what happened with your accident or injury.  The date, the time, the names and addresses of those involve, as well as details of what happened are critical components that you'll need as you try to work through the problems you're having.  You should hire an injury attorney in Lockport, NY as soon as possible..... because the other party's insurance company is probably already working behind the scenes... and preparing to defend its client.

Contacting an accident attorney is really very simple - and for your case, it's a Free Consultation.  I'll spend enough time reviewing the facts with you to be able to tell you what possible remedies you have and make suggestions on how to proceed.

And here's what I promise to do for you:

• Communicate with you in plain language that is easy to understand.
• Promptly return your telephone calls.
• Quickly and thoroughly investigate and analyze your case.
• Have your case personally handled by our firm.
• Keep you informed of the progress of your case at all times.
• Show you the personal care, concern and attention you deserve
• Accommodate the needs of you and your family during the handling of your case.

Wills, Estates and Trusts

The firm provides individually tailored estate and gift plans to help clients protect and preserve assets accumulated over a lifetime.  The firm also assists business owners with corporate and succession planning to minimize taxes and to provide smooth transitions of ownership and control.  The firm's attorneys also handle the administration of estates and trust, guiding executors, administrators, and trustees through complex probate and tax processes, mindful of the need to minimize stress at emotionally difficult times.