After Reversing Disadvantages and Securing Custody, Lawyer Cong Gao Receives a Banner for Her Professional Competency and Benevolent Approach

On the afternoon of June 18th, Mr. Lu came to Jiali Law Firm and presented Lawyer Cong Gao with a banner reading, “Professional Competency, Benevolent Approach.”

Mr. Lu had been raising his daughter alone after divorcing his ex-wife many years ago. Yet as she gradually grew up, the daughter began to have disputes with Mr. Lu due to their different educational philosophies. Thus, the 11-year-old girl went to her mother and asked to live with her. As a result, Mr. Lu’s ex-wife filed a lawsuit to change custody and ask for child support.

In most situations involving a child above the age of 10, the judge generally determines custody according to the child’s preference. In this case, Mr. Lu’s daughter was already 11 and clearly stated her willingness to live with her mother, which was not agreeable to Mr. Lu.

After accepting the entrustment, Lawyer Cong Gao immediately elaborated on Mr. Lu’s disadvantages and informed him of the risks. To learn more details about the case and thus reverse the disadvantageous situation, Gao sincerely communicated with Mr. Lu and his ex-wife while preparing evidence for the trial.

During several rounds of communication with Mr. Lu’s ex-wife, Gao found that despite a definite win in the battle for custody, she still had worries about living with her daughter. First, the location where she lived at the time was quite far from her daughter’s school, and the rent rates around the school district were relatively high. Second, she had apparently lower economic affordability than Mr. Lu, and thus might not have been able to maintain the current living conditions of her daughter after the change of custody.

Having comprehensively learned the true demands of both parties, Lawyer Gao communicated with the judge several times in the hope of achieving a mediation agreement between the two parties. As both parties were concerned about the welfare of their daughter, Gao suggested a solution in which Mr. Lu retained custody of the child, but the child lived with her mother, and Mr. Lu paid partial child support. This solution was finally accepted by both Mr. Lu and his ex-wife. The two parties reached an agreement: custody of the child would go to Mr. Lu and the child could live with her mother if she desired, with Mr. Lu paying RMB 1,000 per month as child support.

Mr. Lu was quite pleased with this successful mediation and felt that the results had exceeded his expectations. He thought highly of Lawyer Gao’s professional competency and considerate services in handling the case, and had a banner made to express his gratitude.

Lawyer Cong Gao is an expert in communication, patient with the relevant parties and skilled at collecting and reviewing evidence related to each case. She can also get straight to the point when handling cases. About this case, she said, “It’s good that the two parties were willing to mediate their dispute for their child’s interests and needs. In any case, children shouldn’t become the victims of battles between parents.”