We were excited, but not surprised, to learn that Bobbie Batley has been included in the 30th edition of Best Lawyers in America, which will be released in 2024. After all, our Managing Partner has been chosen for this honor every single year since 2006.

What makes this award so special is that it is determined entirely by peers in the legal profession who practice the same area of law in the same geographic area. In other words, potential competitors have rated Bobbie very highly for her skills and expertise for a very long time. She received recognition not only for collaborative law but also overall family law.

“I am humbled and gratified that my peers continue to think so highly of my work,” she noted. “This reflects on the skill and dedication of the entire team at Batley Family Law.”

Peer Review Process Used by Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers is a peer review organization that works in partnership with U.S. News and other organizations. Their team worked over the years to develop a selection process that reflects the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of colleagues in their area of practice and geographical region.

Best Lawyers operates under the premise that the quality of their peer reviews stems from the quality of those who conduct the reviews, so they only accept the opinions of attorneys who have already received honor and recognition in the same field. Although any client or professional may nominate an attorney for inclusion in Best Lawyers, only attorneys that have been previously recognized for excellence can vote on the nominees.

Attorneys who are eligible to vote receive a ballot prepared by Best Lawyers to show attorneys in their practice field and geographic area. Voting attorneys rate each candidate on the ballot with a score between one and five based on a single question. Voters are asked to rate how confident they would be in referring a case to that candidate. Voting attorneys are also encouraged to provide additional information in a comment section. 

If a voting attorney is not personally familiar with the work of a candidate on their ballot, they are expected to refrain from voting. The process is designed to accurately depict informed professional opinions of each candidate’s skill, knowledge, and dedication.

This Award Highlights the Effectiveness of Collaborative Approach to Family Law

Because Bobbie was selected for Best Lawyers in both the collaborative family law category and the overall family law category, we believe this demonstrates how effective collaborative methods prove to be in resolving issues in family law. We hope this award will call attention to the advantages collaborative law can provide for couples who are divorcing, particularly when they have children.

“The control over the process, potential for creative solutions, and the reduction in animosity improves the process and the outcome for many families, but many more could realize the benefits if they only realized this option was available,” Bobbie noted.

“At Batley Family Law, we would like to thank our clients for working with us so closely to reach timely and advantageous solutions,” she continued. “We would not be able to achieve such levels of success without the level of cooperation we’ve gained from our outstanding clients.”