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Experience makes the difference

At the break up of a marriage, many people feel vulnerable and usually experience emotional distress. Yet experts agree that is the time when you need to be thinking clearly about decisions that will affect the rest of your life and your children’s lives.

The services of an experienced, compassionate attorney can help you negotiate the rough waters. Gloria Arroyo Copland has helped thousands of clients through separations, divorces and other family law matters. In practice since 1985, Copland’s law firm, Arroyo Copland & Associates, PLLC, is a small but prestigious firm in Albany located at Great Oaks Office Park. She and her associate, John W Kraigenow, devote their time almost exclusively to matrimonial and family law matters. These include divorce, separation, custody matters, paternity matters, child support, adoptions and other family law issues.

“My goal is to protect and guide my clients from start to finish,” Copland says. “I know the law and every aspect of the proceedings, but just as importantly, I know what a difficult time this is in a person’s life. Separation and divorce are life-changing events, and a person needs an attorney who will protect them, their children and their financial stability.”

Small and caring

Copland prefers a smaller firm in which to practice family law because she believes it offers specific advantages to her clients.

“Working with a smaller firm means you’re going to get the attention you deserve,” Copland says. “Your paperwork isn’t going to get lost in a stack, and your calls don’t go unreturned rather, here you will find people who care - really care about your situation, and know how to do the right thing for you. My staff, especially my legal assistant Theresa Jones, are indispensable components of the firm.”

Copland points out that people come to the firm in many different emotional states. “Some people are angry, some are traumatized, and some are relieved that they have at last made a decision,” she says. “But for everyone, it’s an emotional upheaval because a relationship is ending. That’s why it’s important to relate your life story to a professional who will listen to, guide and protect you. That’s what we do.”

Experience matters

Making decisions again and again is part of the divorce process. Copland can help answer questions such as when is the right time to file and where, how to make custody arrangements, and valuation of marital assets.

“When you first start thinking seriously about separation or divorce, see an attorney before taking any steps,” Copland advises. “Each move you make can affect the outcome, and perhaps the rest of your life.

“Throughout the divorce proceedings, you have one chance to do it right, so it’s important to have an attorney who knows every aspect of matrimonial family law in New York State,” Copland says.

Because she takes the time to get to know her clients, Copland can help them make informed decisions. “Knowing their situation, I can give them advice about their options, and, most importantly, protect their interests,” she says.

According to Copland, pensions are assets in New York State and can he valued and distributed. “If your attorney is not completely up to date on New York law, you can waive your rights to pension assets without even knowing it,” she says.

Having earned their law degrees from Albany Law School, both Copland and Kraigenow are well known in the local, legal community and are comfortable in the courtrooms. ‘Although settling without litigation is always preferred, we’re skilled at litigation and not hesitant to go that route if necessary,” Copland states.

“I’ve been practicing law in New York for 20 years, so I know the attorneys involved and they know me and my reputation.” Copland’s reputation extends beyond the courtroom. She was appointed many years to the Character and Fitness Committee of the Appellate Division, interviewing attorneys who are applying for admission to the Bar in New York State. She also served as the president of the Capital District Women’s Bar Association of which she has been a member since 1981.

In servicing family law clients, the firm also handles matters such as adoptions, bankruptcies, wills and estate probate and other related issues. “We are here to serve our clients with compassion and skill,” Copland says.

Great Oaks Office Park
219 Great Oaks Blvd.
Albany, NY 12203

Phone: (518) 464-6000
Fax: (518) 464-6014
E-mail: arroyocopland@nycap.rr.com

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