Howard Iken:
Well, good morning. You’re Joe Little, aren’t you?
Joe Little:
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Yes, I am.
Howard Iken:
And what do you do at Ayo & Iken?
Joe Little:
I am a family law attorney.
Howard Iken:
And is that something you like to do?
Joe Little:
Yes, I love family law.
Howard Iken:
How long have you been practicing in family law, sir?
Joe Little:
I’ve been practicing family law for 30 years, since graduation from law school in 1993.
Howard Iken:
And is that part of any family tradition or anything like that?
Joe Little:
Yes. My father-in-law was a very prominent family law attorney in Tampa, and also my sister-in-law was a very prominent family law attorney in Tampa.
Howard Iken:
What do you like about family law?
Joe Little:
One of the things I really like about family law is that you can really do a lot of good very quickly with families that are in turmoil, can help calm the situation and make the best of a bad situation.
Howard Iken:
Have you ever considered a different practice area?
Joe Little:
No, frankly I haven’t. I enjoyed family law and I did family law exclusively.
Howard Iken:
Why should clients hire you as a family law attorney? What do you bring to the table?
Joe Little:
The main thing I bring is 30 years of experience. I’ve helped hundreds of clients and hundreds of different situations. In addition, my academic background. Teaching business law, teaching criminal law has given me a broad scope and I think I bring something that most attorneys don’t.
Howard Iken:
Do you believe your years practicing and your maturity carries any weight with judges?
Joe Little:
Yes. After 30 years, I know most of the judges. Frankly, most of the judges are younger than me and that means a lot. They also know that I’m a family law attorney exclusively, and I’ve been through a great deal and I think that gives me a little extra respect with the judges.
Howard Iken:
Have you known any current judges before they became judges?
Joe Little:
I’ve known perhaps a dozen judges before they became judges.
Howard Iken:
So you’ve seen it all?
Joe Little:
I’ve seen it all. Indeed, I have.
Howard Iken:
And what is it like when you appear before a judge that you knew many, many years ago? What does it bring to your experience and your client’s experience?
Joe Little:
Well, it’s fulfilling to know that in some small way, I was part of that process. Very often these judges were colleagues of mine in the practice of family law, so it’s wonderful to see them succeed and to reach the bench. Very satisfying.
Howard Iken:
There’s an old saying, a motivational person coined this phrase, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Does that apply to you?
Joe Little:
It absolutely applies to me. The more difficult the situation, the more I multiply my efforts and I feel like that’s the best way to be successful. You have to be willing to do that.
Howard Iken:
You’re in a firm with more than a couple of attorneys, aren’t you?
Joe Little:
Yes. I’m in a larger firm.
Howard Iken:
As a matter of fact, there are approximately 12 attorneys in the firm that you practice with. Does that benefit you?
Joe Little:
Yes, that’s a tremendous benefit. Our firm has a dozen attorneys. We can relate to each other. We can bounce ideas off of each other. We can gain advantage from the experience of others. Tremendous advantage.
Howard Iken:
How about paralegals in your firm? Is there a team of paralegals you find helpful?
Joe Little:
The paralegals at our firm are amazing. They are very sharp, very experienced, and frankly, the best paralegals that I’ve ever worked with.
Howard Iken:
Are cases that you work on a team effort, yourself and other staff members?
Joe Little:
Yes. All our cases require a good team effort. Our paralegals handle documentation, all the critical filings. But we work as a team, we have to work as a team to be effective.
Howard Iken:
I don’t think there’s any argument that attorneys and law firms are expensive, so why are you worth the money you charge, or are you worth it?
Joe Little:
I am worth the money that I charge and our firm charges because it’s very difficult, it’s very technical, it requires a great deal of education. Sometimes it’s difficult for a client to understand how much work is involved in what may look like a seemingly simple case, but it’s complex. And every family law attorney earns their wage.
Howard Iken:
At the end of the day do you think you are a good choice for clients to pick as their attorney?
Joe Little:
At the end of the day I think I’m an excellent choice for clients to choose as their attorney. I’m honest. I’m straightforward. I tell my clients the truth. I don’t hide things. I work hard for my clients and I try to help them through the process so they can get on with their lives.
Howard Iken:
Well, thank you very much Mr. Little.
Joe Little:
Thank You, Mr. Iken.