Precision in Divorce Litigation: Uncover Assets, Leverage Evidence, and Manage Complexities

Timothy Conlon | DarrowEverett LLP

Tim Conlon, Partner, is the Practice Leader for DarrowEverett’s Private Client Group and Co- Chair of our Family Law Practice Group. His practice concentrates on complex family court litigation, and civil cases on behalf of children abused in the care of others. Throughout his career, Tim has handled challenging cases at the forefront, from computer crime investigations in the 1980s to chairing and settling Rhode Island’s clergy abuse cases on behalf of dozens of victims, all while cutting new ground in contentious family court litigation. He regularly serves as lead counsel in complex divorces with high-net worth, multiple business assets, intergenerational trusts, and testifying experts, and has worked with the leading forensic accountants and forensic psychologists in the region.

Tim has appeared on NBC Nightly News and ABC World News Tonight, and has been quoted in publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and frequently The Boston Globe and Providence Journal, on issues relating to institutional child sexual abuse, teacher and coach misconduct, but also family law, spousal snooping, and child mistreatment issues.

I. From Intake to Discovery: Mastering early divorce case strategies | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• What does that even mean?
  • How your intake process can drive the case to success
• Strategies for uncovering hidden assets and liabilities
  • Return to your intake materials
  • Pre-filling
    • Public records database searches
    • Tax return review
  • In litigation
    • When to ask and when to take?
• Leveraging technology for efficient data collection and analysis
  • What are “machine readable“ or “native” documents?
  • Why do you care?
• Avoiding pitfalls when recommending trial versus settlement
  • The easiest case to settle is the one you are ready to try
• Working effectively with clients facing mental health challenges
  • PTSD
  • Substance abuse
  • Domestic violence (from both sides)
    • Don’t hide from reality
• Cutting-edge methods for responding to and enforcing discovery requests
  • Subpoena for machine readable data
  • Records requests that get records in native form
  • Seizure by court order

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

II. Expert Insights and Evidence Tactics in Divorce Litigation | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• When to bring in forensic accountants, mental health professionals, and real estate experts
• Winning strategies for introducing and challenging digital evidence
  • When introducing:
    • Chain of custody
    • Independent verification
    • Live authentication
• When challenging
  • Cross checking your sources
• Best practices for handling emotionally charged testimony, including child witnesses
  • As to your client
  • As to the opposing party
  • As to the child