A more balanced, fair, and practical approach to the problems men experience in divorce.
Now located in Pleasant Hill, Divorce for Men Only was founded by Douglas Page in 1982. Through three divorces of his own in the 1960s and 1970s, Page experienced firsthand the traditional favoritism that women seemed to receive in divorce cases; loss of finances and depletion of property with little concern about the effect of the father’s absence from the children.
40+ years later, the courts have made tremendous progress in this area. Unfortunately, not all divorcing parties have similarly progressed in their thinking.
Neil Holmes, Attorney
Neil is a 1982 graduate of Loyola Law School. Originally a general practitioner, his focus soon turned exclusively to family law.
The decision to go exclusively into family law came when the founder of Divorce For Men Only invited Neil to join their firm. The opportunity to focus on men and men’s issues crystallized the decision for Neil.
Neil promotes the early analysis and game plan with a client on how to get through the case successfully but also efficiently. He plans ahead of time and works with individual clients to minimize the stress and expense of divorce; to try and avoid the mistakes other men have made. There is a men’s perspective on divorce that Neil is very familiar with and walks his clients through. Men are generally the ones trying to maximize their parental time and get more child custody.
“In the modern world,” says Neil, “now men must also learn how to balance career and parenting. That’s not something they teach in the law books — how to coach guys in parenting. Having raised a son and now with two teenage granddaughters, I combine the professional, the legal, and the personal to those man-to-man insights that only experience brings. I work closely with my clients to mix law and reality in the right combination to get to the best resolution possible.”
Neil’s approach to representation is very team oriented. Together with his client, he discusses, brainstorms, and delegates tasks to maximize time and cost efficiency. Neil’s goal with every case is to get the client through the process as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Neil has served as a Judge Pro Tem in Contra Costa and Solano County Courts.
You may have heard Neil interviewed on NBCs Today Show, KGO News Talk, and KCBS News Radio, as well as quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, Associated Press, Redbook, and Diablo magazines.
Stella Burrough, Paralegal
Stella has been with Divorce for Men Only since 2003. She has a business degree and, in the course of her years in practice, has accumulated vast experience in personal injury, real estate, and now family law, bringing her skill and knowledge from all these fields to her work with clients.
Clients oftentimes turn to Stella through the process to stay informed and updated. She is the critical link in the office, also handling administration and making sure all processes run smoothly. Stella is married with four children and five grandchildren.
