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Julian Roberts
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Julian Roberts
Law Office of Julian Roberts
553 South Murphy Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Phone: (408) 730-4710 | Fax: (408) 730-8215
http://www.julianslaw.com/
Affordable Bankruptcy and Tax Attorney for 13+ Years
Legal Topic
Bankruptcy
Preferred New Clients
I prefer to handle Chapter 7, 11, 13 bankruptcy cases for debtors and/or creditors. I also handle adversary proceedings.
Sub-Categories
Bankruptcy
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 7
- Debt Relief
- Garnishments
- Chapter 11
- Business Bankruptcy
- Credit Restoration
- Creditor Harassment
- Personal Bankruptcy
Bar Admissions
CA, Dec 1995
Bar Number: 178375
Other Court Admissions
U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Central District, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and California Supreme Court.
Association Memberships
California State Bar, Santa Clara County Bar, Silicon Valley Bar, American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, and Legal Section of the American Psychological Association.
Continuing Education
I taught legal courses in personal property, community property, wills and trusts in law school for several years. Currently, I teach Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) classes for the IRS, and take a variety of continuing legal education seminars.
Papers and Publications
I wrote, "The Application of Matrix Algebra to the Analysis of Non-planar Networks."
Example Cases
The firm has handled a number of bankruptcy cases including an adversary case in which the debtor had been swindled by a buyer and real estate agent. We have gone eyeball-to-eyeball with the IRS in court and won significant amounts of money for our clients.
Education
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
School:
Oklahoma State University
City:
Stillwater
State:
OK
Year:
1962
Honors:
Yes.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Electrical Engineering.
Degree:
Master of Science in Law; Juris Doctorate
School:
Peninsula University College of Law
City:
Mountain View
State:
CA
Year:
1995
Honors:
Yes.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Constitutional Law.
Degree:
Master of Science
School:
Rochester Institute of Technology
City:
Rochester
State:
NY
Year:
1969
Honors:
Yes.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Statistics.
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
The Law Office of Julian Roberts focuses on the needs of individuals and small businesses for legal support and tax issues. We work extensively with individuals facing financial problems including those arising from the recent sub-prime mortgage crisis. Our lead attorney is also a real estate broker and is very familiar with problems involving real property. When meritorious, we will do a limited amount of family law work. I am currently taking courses toward a PhD in psychology in my spare time.
Our firm began as a tax service operating out of Moffett Park in 1987. I found working with the IRS and FTB on tax problems to be frustrating because of the insensitivity of the agents. In order to get an upper hand, I enrolled in law school during the evenings at Peninsula University. Finishing in 1995, I took the California State Bar examination and passed on the first attempt. It became much easier to work with the tax agents when they knew we could take them to court.
Taxes can sometimes be discharged in bankruptcy. It became natural for the office to begin doing bankruptcies and we started accepting these kinds of cases in 1996. The next few years were prosperous for the economy overall and not much was required.
However, when the dot-com bust hit, we started to get really busy. People were getting laid-off from work and came to us for help, not only with bankruptcies, but with general counseling on the best way to handle their financial situation during the period of hard times.
Guess what? It's hard times again. Please call us before cashing in a 401(k) or other retirement asset. We'll help with bankruptcy if it's needed, but we'll also evaluate other options.
Previous Employment Summary
I am a retired Lieutenant Colonel (USAFR) after 8 years active service and 25 years reserve. I entered the Air Force as an enlisted man in 1957 and got commissioned through AECP in 1962. During my reserve years, I worked primarily in aerospace companies, including Eastman Kodak, Computer Sciences Corporation, Aerospace Corporation, TRW, and Ford Aerospace. I have also held a cosmetology license and owned two beauty salons in Palo Alto.
Activities and Awards
Enrolled Agent of the Year, Mission Society of Enrolled Agents; Director West-Valley-Mission Community College District Foundation; Certificate of Appreciation for Armed Forces services from George Bush.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
It is my preference that the client be as knowledgeable as possible on legal issues.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I can review documents prepared by clients, but expect to be paid an appropriate fee for doing so.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I am willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves, but require a waiver of responsibility and payment of a reasonable and appropriate fee for my time.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
Originally I became a lawyer because I wanted to beat up on the IRS. Later in my career my focus changed, but I still like to work with IRS agents.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
From the 1,000 or more tax clients we handle every year I learn what experiences in their lives have worked and what haven't worked. I also learn from my legal clients how they have dealt with the legal issues they face. Clients' experiences are the best teacher for me. My education is extensive and involves engineering, statistics, law and, currently, psychology. The psychology courses I am taking have helped me appreciate the mental states of clients as we try to resolve their legal issues.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
My initial focus was on tax law and tax return preparation. This has provided me with a wonderful set of both clients and friends over the past 20 years. Two of the individuals who were my clients in my very first year of practice are still clients (I only had 43 clients that first year). I have learned over the course of practicing law that taxes and law are very personal to my clients, and that in return I have to respond personally to their needs.
What do you like best about your career?
One of the best things about my career is that I have been able to provide advice and support to a large number of people over the years. It is very satisfying when a client brings me flowers or sends a thank-you card. Many have even learned, over a course of time, to call me before disaster strikes!
Tell us about your law firm:
I have a wonderful office manager and a paralegal/receptionist who keep my life in order and work hard to keep the work-flow through the office efficient. Both were born in Cambodia and managed to flee when Pol Pot was killing so many people. They were quite young at the time they left and have mastered the English language since living in the United States. You can expect friendly and efficient handling of your issues by all of the people in our office.
What are your strengths and style?
I am creative and can often find solutions to problems that are "outside of the box." My style is to try and put my client's mind at ease using a blend of practical advice and perspective. Over the years I have found that humor frequently can help with the pain of a situation when appropriate.
Personal Interests:
I enjoy music immensely. I love to sing and have been the director for a number of choral groups. My lady love and I enjoy travel and have gone to a number of countries with the most recent being Spain. We also take occasional motorcycle trips and enjoy going to Napa. We enjoy dancing together and are taking lessons in ballroom dancing at Arthur Murray. We like to watch "Dancing With The Stars." I also like taking classes.
Office Manager/Assistant
Sothai Taing
Fax
(408) 730-8215
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Other hours by prior arrangement.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Foreign Languages
We speak Cambodian and Spanish. Translators are available for Tagalong, Ilocano, and Korean.
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
For a Chapter 7 case the current fee is $1,250 plus filing fees. This fee may increase dependent on if a business or real estate is involved.
For Revocable Living Trusts the basic fee is $1,200 plus $50 per property.
For Business Entity Formation the fee is $1,200.
Hourly Rates
$350 per hour.
Free Initial Consultation?
For the first half hour of initial consultation there is no fee.
Typical Retainer
A typical retainer for a case varies from $1,000 to $2,500, depending on matter.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
