Alycia Fitz: Case Successes

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Family Law - Alycia has obtained residential custody for her client away from a functioning alcoholic father who drank primarily in the home with no outside witnesses to back up the mother’s and sons’ claims.  Alycia worked with her client to gather evidence to support facts asserted by her client - such as the date and time of alcohol purchases shown through a Dominick’s Fresh Values card records.  Also, knowing the boys both loved their father and feared retribution from him, Alycia worked with her client’s sons to build their confidence for the hearing.  The boys successfully told the judge what they saw, what scared and concerned them, and what they wanted – in their own words.  The judge awarded her client residential custody and child support.

Department of Children and Family Services - Alycia was also successful in returning her client’s teenage daughter from the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).  A hospital social worker reported to DCFS that the girl, who was sleepy and highly medicated, claimed past abuse by her step-father.  DCFS gained protective custody by alleging a threat of current and extensive abuse against the daughter and her half-siblings.  Through her analysis and investigation, Alycia found a discrepancy between the social worker’s notes in the medical records and the hotline report rendered by DCFS.  Alycia further found a gap in communications between the initial DCFS investigator, who concluded that no abuse occurred, and a subsequent case worker who after 50 days acted based on the inaccurate DCFS hotline report.  Alycia’s forceful arguments and thorough preparation including the drafting of a detailed written motion and the uncovering of multiple witnesses resulted in great success.  Her actions convinced the prosecutor’s supervisor to become involved and conduct her own investigation.  The supervisor concluded that DCFS was wrong and had the daughter returned weeks before the scheduled custody hearing. 

Family Law - Alycia has obtained $550.00 per month in maintenance for a client whose income during most of the 20-year marriage was greater than her husband’s, but at the time of the divorce was several thousand dollars less.

Civil Litigation - On the commercial side, Alycia successfully appealed a judge’s decision that prevented five piano dealers from going after key agents of a sixth dealer for violations of retail advertising regulations.  The defendant piano company had filed for bankruptcy, but the plaintiffs and litigation team gathered evidence that would allow them to pierce the corporate veil to add individual players as defendants.  Alycia prepared legal memoranda that balanced the complex factual background, litigation history, and relevant law with a straightforward explanation of how the judge abused her discretion.  The Appellate Court agreed, giving the plaintiffs more litigation options and a stronger position for settlement.