Steven specialist brings nearly 25 years of professional expertise to his practice.
M. Ellsworth
This certified family law
By Vicki Hogue-Davies
W
hen it comes to how he built his law career, Steven M.
Ellsworth believes that his decision to specialize in family
law was a major contributor to his success. Ellsworth,
founder of Ellsworth Family Law in Mesa, Ariz., has practiced in his
specialty area for nearly 25 years, helping hundreds of clients navigate
through divorce and other life challenges.
“[Specialization] proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever
made as far as the development of my career and my practice,” he says.
He gives credit for his decision to a law office management consultant
who visited a firm where Ellsworth worked early in his career. The
consultant emphasized specialization, which was a novel con cept
then, Ellsworth notes. Ellsworth now gives the same wise advice to
younger lawyers he meets.
“When I talk to young lawyers today … my first advice to them is
that you need to specialize,” he says. “I don’t care what area of the law
you choose but become the very best you can be in your chosen area
and if you do that you will be successful. For me, it doesn’t matter how
many lawyers are admitted to the bar in Arizona, I know I will always
be busy because I carved out a specialty area that is in demand.”
Expert Credentials
Ellsworth has worked to become the best he can be in his profession by
staying at the forefront of his field. It is this preparation that enables him
to successfully handle complex divorce cases, custody disputes, child
support issues, prenuptial agreements and a myriad other family law
areas. While he personally loves arguing before a judge, he understands
that litigation is not always the best course of action. “Resolving a case
through the court is the absolute worst way to do it. People are happier
with a result they choose rather than one that is forced upon them,”
Ellsworth says, which is why his goal is to help clients reach a settlement
outside the courtroom.
Toward the goal of keeping people out of court, Ellsworth recently
became a certified family law arbitrator by the American Academy
of Matrimonial Lawyers and is now devoting more of his practice to
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