1st Meeting with OCL Lawyer - yeah he's not already made up his mind on my case

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SystemReform

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Had the unfortune of my first "interview" with the OCL lawyer appointed last week. Makes me even more depressed and lacking in belief in our family law legal system.

This guy just after reviewing our court file, and having just met with my ex once, seemed to have already made up his mind on my case even prior to my first interview with him and took lots of time in the first interview to tell me how in his ____ yrs of experience being the lawyer most active in our local court house that no way I was going to get this and that from a judge at trial.

Funny, when I last checked, he was appointed to represent the wishes and needs of the children not to give legal advise and opinion on my case and how he feels in his opinion because he's been around a while it will go down.

I think on at least 3 occassions he's told me I should retain a lawyer (don't all lawyers have this statement written on their business cards)? Yet he completely ignores all the mistakes the other party's lawyer has made in their documents, in one they go the applicant and respondent reversed the whole way through all of their claims and made during the court process.

So, not even an interview in and I already know and the OCL lawyer already knows who's side he is on.

I guess my best chance is to push for a social worker to be brought on to do an assessment and at least I can cross-examine them at trial and challenge the bias that is obvious in this situation from day 1 of the OCl involvement?
 
I can't imagine one can stay unbiased after reading a bunch of court documents. The meeting is your chance to confirm or reverse the bias.

If the best argument you could bring up in to support your claims was that the opposing party's lawyer mixed up the "applicant" and "respondent" words in their papers, and then you kept bashing one lawyer to another lawyer, then you turned that initial bias against you to a well supported opinion against you.
 
Here we go again. There must be a lot of upset lawyers and OCL representatives posting opinions on here. Lol

The OCL lawyer's role that early is to interview and hear pleading positions, not to offer their opinion. They are not being appointed to offer their position on the party vs party, they are supposed to be there to find out and present the views and wants of the children. End of story
 
There is a good reason why someone is self-representing themselves instead of retaining a lawyer. I would think a long-time lawyer and OCL representive would know and get it. To suggest multiple times one should get a lawyer is insulting. There are tones of useless shit lawyer out there, why would I pay them for that, my ex's lawyer included.
 
Sorry if you challenge a biased process when the OCL lawyer is being such, you're the problem creator? Tough, I'm fighting for the best interests of the children and the right for the process to be as fair and unbiased. There are dirty lawyers, judges, CAS, OCL lawyers and assessors. One only needs to read the 100's of examples on here. The OCL lawyer is already siding with my ex's position, think I am not going to call him on that?
 
Most people know that some lawyers, CAS, and OCL representatives monitor on here. It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that they also post responses on here.
 
SystemReform said:
Sorry if you challenge a biased process when the OCL lawyer is being such, you're the problem creator? Tough, I'm fighting for the best interests of the children and the right for the process to be as fair and unbiased. There are dirty lawyers, judges, CAS, OCL lawyers and assessors. One only needs to read the 100's of examples on here. The OCL lawyer is already siding with my ex's position, think I am not going to call him on that?
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I don't disagree with you, although I did not have OCL in my case. That being said becoming more belligerent about procedures and biased is not the way to be successful. Someone on here, can't remember who, successfully fought an OCL report by following the process and disproving the report by providing factual evidence. Document the biased, and start building your case. Do not battle with the OCL as you may provide them with actual evidence that you may not be the best parent.
 
Mhm, information likely provided by the interested party. Unless you seriously think people are paying their lawyers to post-stalk their ex online?

And without a court order submitted to the owner of the forum, no proof can be provided as confirmation that a post was made by a certain individual, which to my knowledge, has never happened.

You sound very much like a conspiracy theorist!
 
System Reform:

This is a public forum…there are plumbers, fire fighters, stay at home moms, government workers, people in the retail services…and yes lawyers, CAS workers all using this PUBLIC FORUM.

You will get all kind of advice, you may not like what you hear but it just might be what you need to hear.

Stop arguing and really focus on why you are here. Use the take it or leave it approach.

If you are going to argue with everyone then I think you need to look at another forum….one for high conflict people might be best suited for you.

Best wishes to you in our proceedings.
 
FB_ said:
I don't disagree with you, although I did not have OCL in my case. That being said becoming more belligerent about procedures and biased is not the way to be successful. Someone on here, can't remember who, successfully fought an OCL report by following the process and disproving the report by providing factual evidence. Document the biased, and start building your case. Do not battle with the OCL as you may provide them with actual evidence that you may not be the best parent.
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That was WorkingDad, his case is well known here.
 
OP, without knowing the details of your case it is impossible for us to give advice on how to proceed.

You are upset that the OCL recommended getting a lawyer. Depending on their reasoning for making such suggestion, it could be really sound advice. From the limited posts I've read, it seems you are more concerned with your perceived biases and problems with the system, then focusing on how to strengthen your case.

But without details surrounding the situation, all we have is your perception that the OCL was biased, which is obviously your biased perspective.
 
The challenge is the OCL didn't choose an assessment in this case, they chose instead to assign the children the lawyer and even before having met with the children or myself once he took it upon himself to offer legal opinion on my side of the case. I attempted to listen, answer his questions when I was actually given questions to answer but when I attempted to give my point of view on his what seemed like was already his decision in the matter, it wasn't well received.

See neither party can cross-examine the lawyer when that is all appointed. I guess now my only hope to the provide what he asks when he asks for it, not raise concerns on how a procedure may create bias in how the children respond, and hope he involves a social worker for assessment as then at least the social worker can be cross-examined on the stand should there be concern of a bias OCL process in this matter
 
SystemReform said:
The challenge is the OCL didn't choose an assessment in this case, they chose instead to assign the children the lawyer and even before having met with the children or myself once he took it upon himself to offer legal opinion on my side of the case. I attempted to listen, answer his questions when I was actually given questions to answer but when I attempted to give my point of view on his what seemed like was already his decision in the matter, it wasn't well received.

See neither party can cross-examine the lawyer when that is all appointed. I guess now my only hope to the provide what he asks when he asks for it, not raise concerns on how a procedure may create bias in how the children respond, and hope he involves a social worker for assessment as then at least the social worker can be cross-examined on the stand should there be concern of a bias OCL process in this matter
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As a lawyer he is not allowed to provide the court with an opinion. He is permitted to submit evidence to the court on behalf of your children. It is your job to disprove his evidence. He is your children's lawyer and he will act however he wants to serve what "HE" believes is in your children's best interest. If you disagree with it submit evidence proving he is wrong.

Use the system don't fight it. What do you hope to accomplish by arguing with your children's lawyer.

It would be helpful if you told what reasoning he used to say what he said. Him saying "I've been doing this for years and this is the way it is" is not evidence, it's not law. There is plenty of case law you can use to disprove what he is saying. You just have to present it properly. Having a good lawyer will probably help.

It seems to me the people who are unrepresented get steam rolled if they don't know the laws and procedures. A judge says something that is wrong, if you don't know how to properly object you will end up in a bad situation.
 
It seems to me the people who are unrepresented get steam rolled if they don't know the laws and procedures.
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Most skills can be learned with practice.

Unfortunately, self represented litigants (usually) only have one round of practice through the system.
 
Is there any way to successfully request to have an OCL lawyer removed from your case and replaced by another? This one has already decided that the Mother has a case and I do not even prior to interviewing the children for the first time and the OCL is supposed to be representing the children and their wants / best interests, not providing opinion on the case.
 
SystemReform said:
Is there any way to successfully request to have an OCL lawyer removed from your case and replaced by another? This one has already decided that the Mother has a case and I do not even prior to interviewing the children for the first time and the OCL is supposed to be representing the children and their wants / best interests, not providing opinion on the case.
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Again the lawyer represents your children not you or your wishes. He has been appointed to do nothing else. His opinion is not relevant, neither is yours. Only the evidence you both submit to the court is.
 
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