By Andrea Harwood
Albany-based matrimonial law firm The Colwell Law Group has opened up a second location at 18 Division St., Suite 310, in Saratoga Springs.
Kevin and Mary Colwell, husband and wife, founded the law group 17 years ago, and began focusing exclusively on family and matrimonial law about 8 years ago.
Kevin Colwell says he always wanted to be a lawyer.
“Quite frankly, I was bad at math so I knew I had to go to law school,” he said.
Colwell’s first job out of law school was at the public defender’s office. There, he saw the huge impact that family law attorneys have on people’s lives. He saw how pervasive court rulings were on people, and how it really mattered to families and even generations. Those years made a big impact on Colwell.
After that, Colwell got a job as city attorney in Hudson and worked for the Department of Social Services for a short stint before working as an associate for a firm in Albany. When that firm dissolved, Colwell and several other partners came together for a joint venture.
Colwell said he naturally gravitated toward the family and matrimonial sector of the law. Several years later, he met his now-wife, Mary, who also happened to be practicing family and matrimonial law.
“It just came naturally at that point,” said Colwell. “The clients who came to us tended to need representation in family and matrimonial matters, and they were a natural fit for us.”
The business started growing exponentially around 2016, Colwell said.
“We provide very high-quality legal services for people who are going through divorce and child custody,” said Colwell. “We make a difference in people’s lives. When you have representation that is not so good, it has a tremendous adverse effect. On your finances, on your emotional state, on your whole life.”
“We make a positive impact on the people we work with,” said Colwell. “And it helps us take care of our employees. We work hard to have a very good atmosphere here in the office.”
The Colwell Law Group has around 25 employees with 10 associates, said Colwell.
The Colwell’s needed more capacity for the firm in Albany. Rather than go out and move the entire office, they chose to open another space somewhere else. Since the firm has been servicing clients in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties for years, they chose to go north of their Albany office.
“Saratoga Springs seemed to be a natural point to choose, to relieve some of those North Country clients from making that long commute,” said Colwell.
“The people in this area are nice and the courts are great to work with,” said Colwell.
Colwell says anyone entering in the difficult season of divorce should talk to an attorney as soon as possible.
“My advice is to talk to a lawyer as soon as you can. It doesn’t have to be our firm, although we would be honored to talk to anyone who has they need. Above all, you need to talk to a practitioner who is focused on family and matrimonial law.
“Don’t go to a generalist who practices door law. Don’t talk to your well-meaning friends and relatives who tell you how it worked out for them, or your cousin who’s been divorced three times and thinks they know how it should work out. Every case is a little different. Talk to someone who does this for a living,” said Colwell.
The Colwell Law Group can be reached at 518-832-5278. The website is www.colwell-law.org.