Family Law

Sep 20, 1999

After losing her husband and clients all in one day, Attorney Lynn Holt sets out to rebuild her life. With some help from Danni Lipton, an ambitious almost junior partner, Lynn decides to rebuild her law practice by subleasing her offices to two other lawyers, Rex Weller and Randi King. Lynn's first new client is a former drug addict trying to win back custody of her children.

Sep 27, 1999

Lynn helps Rex represent a couple seeking damages against the doctor who neglected to tell them that their child would be born with Down Syndrome; Danni turns marriage counselor to a couple divorcing; Randi reveals a dark chapter in her past; Lynn sets out to show Michael how hard it is to juggle a career and parenting.

Oct 4, 1999

Lynn tries the case of a woman seeking custody of her children from their racist father; Danni hopes to rekindle the flames with her new client, who is also an old boyfriend; Rex represents a man injured by exploding beached whale blubber; Sweet memories abound when Lynn and Michael start dividing their property.

Oct 11, 1999

Randi represents a correctional officer charged with raping an inmate. However the case hits too close to home since she knew the officer when she was in prison; Lynn starts to represent a famous young actor in a divorce case; Danni's relationship with Don becomes more complicated.

Oct 18, 1999

Lynn helps an old friend deal with his troubled daughter, who's created a list of people she wants to kill; The woman Michael left Lynn for comes looking for a job; Danni and Don's relationship heats up; Danni learns that Randi is getting some ""attention"" from a surprising source.

Oct 25, 1999

Lynn represents a couple desperate to get custody of their granddaughter, even though it goes against their deceased daughter's wishes; Rex's mentally ill older brother breezes into his life after a two year absence; Danni represents an obnoxious actor suing a paper for ruining his career after they claimed he was dead; Randi and Andres's relationship heats up.

Nov 8, 1999

Danni and Rex take opposites sides of a case involving kids on a soccer team and their overzealous parents; Andres asks Randi's help in representing a friend who has money coming to him from a wealthy former client. But her testing of his skills makes Andres very uncomfortable; Lynn finds herself with a moral dilemma when she represents an Afghani couple trying to stay in the United States even though he is wanted for burglary in his homeland.

Nov 15, 1999

Over Lynn's objections, Danni represents an L.A. Laker being sued for child support; Rex represents a man who confesses to bombing the Federal Building 30 years ago; Randi goes all out to make a deadbeat client pay his bill.

Nov 22, 1999

Lynn and Michael square off in court in a battle between a cancer-stricken employee of a lingerie company and the owners that fired her shortly after her mastectomy; Rex represents the inept son of a professional thief.

Nov 29, 1999

Rex defends a woman accused of murdering her one child and abusing the other; Randi represents the ""spokesman"" for Mr. Chips potato chips when he's fired for being too old; Lynn goes ""trolling"" for clients.

Dec 13, 1999

Lynn acts as mediator in her friends' decision of how their dying son should spend his last days; Danni defends her father after he's arrested for a hit and run; Rex tries to make a commercial showcasing his skills, but it doesn't go as he planned.

Jan 10, 2000

Rex and Lynn defend a 10 year-old boy accused of murdering a little girl for her bike; Randi represents a man who claims his wife put a hex on him; an unexpected event puts an end to Danni & Don's relationship.

Jan 17, 2000

Viveca passes the bar and joins Rex's practice. Her first client is a college football star who allegedly parked in a handicapped space, resulting in the injury of a paraplegic; Rex and Lynn represent a former convict who wants to reclaim custody of his daughter.

Jan 24, 2000

Lynn represents a woman trying to keep her molester husband away from their daughter; Danni represents a celebrity hairstylist who mocked a client in front of a roomful of people.

Feb 7, 2000

Rex and Randi fight to show that the adopted parents of a mentally disturbed boy are not responsible for the boy's murderous act; Danni finds herself at odds with her father when she takes the case of a man fighting his ex-wife for $1 million in lottery winnings. The problem: the ex-wife is now dating Danni's father.

Feb 21, 2000

Lynn's case involving a woman suing a televangelist for child support takes a surprising turn; Danni represents a woman who wants custody of her daughter. The problem: the woman was formerly a man.

Feb 28, 2000

Lynn takes desperate measures to help a woman regain custody of her son; Rex battles his ex-wife over support payments; Randi tries to communicate with her estranged daughter.

Mar 6, 2000

Rex defends an elderly woman on charges of drug dealing when she sells medication to the elderly at discount prices; Danni and Randi fight for the freedom of a Children's Services employee who kidnapped a child from his abusive parents; Lynn and Michael try to put aside their differences to take the kids camping.

Mar 20, 2000

Lynn defends a woman, who runs a foundation for children born to crack-addicted mothers, when the woman pays an addict $200 to be sterilized so she wouldn't have any more crack addicted babies; Danni represents a mother who wants to send her son to Bhutan because she believes he is reincarnation of the High Lama; Michael attempts a reconciliation.

Apr 17, 2000

Rex and Randi represent a pair of brothers: one a murder suspect, the other a witness; Danni tries to help a cleaning lady keep the $500,000 mistake in her bank account; Lynn realizes she's not living environmentally correct and tries to make some changes.

Apr 24, 2000

Lynn takes the case of a cop who broke a restraining order to be with his kids, something she later regrets, Danni pleads the case of a former childhood icon who refuses to give up his cherished puppet which he claims was given to him, Randi gets into a minor car accident and panics when she's accused of DUI.

May 1, 2000

First Danni and then Rex take on the case of a woman suing her husband for half of the $48 million estate that he wants to give to charity; Randi fights for the rights of a mentally challenged couple to keep custody of their daughter; Lynn has problems dealing with the tragedy of her previous case.

May 8, 2000

Lynn represents a priest who is on trial for an attempted murder he claims was an attempted exorcism, Andres reveals a shocking secret when he's threatened with deportation.

Oct 2, 2000

Lynn is pitted against her old acquaintance, cutthroat lawyer Joe Celano, in a case involving a child's adopted parents and the Guatemalan woman he was taken from; Danni's reaction to Lynn's partnership offer unnerves Lynn.

Oct 9, 2000

Lynn is faced with a moral and legal dilemma when her client in a child custody case confesses to molesting his daughter; Randi tries the potentially ground-breaking case of a man suing his bartender for serving him drinks that led to his having a one-night stand which destroyed his marriage; the attorneys decide to expand their practices by forming a partnership.

Oct 16, 2000

Lynn tries valiantly to help a dying friend obtain a divorce from her politician husband, who is trying to stall the proceedings because her death will give him the sympathy vote in the upcoming election; Lynn makes Joe a partner over Rex and Randi's objections, while the partnership decision regarding Danni comes to a head.

Oct 23, 2000

Rex fights to get his schizophrenic brother released from the county mental hospital; Danni and Randi take opposite sides in an ugly custody case involving an emotionally disturbed 5-year-old. However the case takes a suprising turn when it's learned that the child was switched at birth with another.

Oct 30, 2000

Danni is appointed case advocate for a 9-year old boy. But when she learns he is being brutally abused by his foster father, her pleas to Children's Services for an investigation go unheard; Lynn represents grandparents seeking custody of their delinquent teenaged grandson when his parents send him overseas to a prison-like boarding school.

Nov 6, 2000

Danni & Joe bring a class-action suit against the Dept. of Children's Services; Lynn and Rex compete for the same caregiver.

Nov 13, 2000

Rex defends his schizophrenic brother against a murder charge when he pushes someone into the path of an incoming car. But the job is made more difficult when his brother insists that he did nothing wrong and won't let him plead insanity; Lynn and Randi go to the INS in order to get Andres readmitted to the U.S. and end up learning a shocking secret.

Nov 20, 2000

Joe and Lynn butt heads in the case of a hospital's decision to drop one man from the kidney recipient list and replace him with one of their doctors; Danni represents a couple trying to keep custody of their chimpanzee; Randi and Andres have trouble dealing with his return to the firm.

Nov 27, 2000

When Andres attacks a man his mother claims is the Chilean army colonel who killed her husband and tortured her 27 years ago, the firm sets out to prove that the man is a notorious war criminal.

Dec 11, 2000

When Randi helps a battered woman get a restraining order against her husband, the Dept. of Children's Services decides that the woman is an unfit mother because she chose to stay with her abusive husband; Lynn is torn between acting as Cassie's mother or her friend; Danni gets another shot at becoming partner.

Jan 8, 2001

Danni defends a woman charged with murder when she miscarries her baby after a drinking binge. Though disgusted by her client's behavior, Danni feels she has to defend a pregnant woman's right to choose what to do with her body; Lynn represents a hooker seeking palimony from a longtime ex-boyfriend/client.

Jan 15, 2001

Lynn sues a local television station when it airs exploitative footage of her shirt being ripped off by an angry mob; When she tells her the wrong court date, Patricia is forced to impersonate Viveca to prevent a client from losing a case that involves a wedding dress that wouldn't fit.

Jan 29, 2001

Randi and Joe fight to keep a set of newborn Siamese twins from being surgically separated; Lynn is upset when Michael's new girlfriend tries to bond with her kids.

Feb 5, 2001

Lynn defends a man charged with manslaughter when he helps his terminally ill wife committ suicide; Viveca sues a beachfront property landlord for discrimination when he refuses her residency because she's a lawyer.

Feb 19, 2001

When a 19 year old student who worked for Joe over the summer is arrested for drug trafficking, the US Attorney offers him a deal: help nail a drug dealer and he can go free. Though Jamie is eager to take the deal and rat on one of Joe's former clients, Joe warns against it. Meanwhile Danni helps a 36 year old sue his rich parents for cutting off his allowance and against her better judgement finds herself falling for him,

Feb 26, 2001

The firm is at risk when Joe is arrested for money laundering by an overzealous attorney; Danni's unemployed boyfriend, Alex, asks to move in with her.

Mar 12, 2001

Danni and Randi must deal with a complicated child custody case involving a deeply religious couple. The mother, an Orthodox Jew, and the father, a born again Christian, both want sole custody of their 5 year old daughter so she can live by one faith. The trouble is: how to convince a judge that one faith is better ?

Mar 19, 2001

Rex defends Lynn's friend who's charged with manslaughter after her younger son kills her oldest with her handgun. Complicating things is the boy's father who is suing for sole custody of the boy, placing an anti-gun Lynn in the position of defending her friend who continues to own a gun.

Apr 9, 2001

Joe and Lynn fight to help a gay man retain custody of his two adopted children after his partner of 12 years gets engaged to a woman and sues for sole custody; Randi tries to help a 55 year old woman get back child support for the father who abandoned her at a young age.

Apr 16, 2001

Lynn and Randi help a woman who left her baby at the doorstep of Holt & Associates; The boy who Danni helped months ago asks her to be his foster mother.

Apr 30, 2001

Lynn and Joe help a woman whose ex-husband kidnapped their children and now seeks refuge at the Indian reservation where Federal laws do not apply; Danni continues in her quest to adopt Rapheal.

May 7, 2001

Randi fights for custody of her granddaughter after her daughter is killed by her abusive husband; Rex helps a rock star get a permit to open a drug rehab center in Beverly Hills; Danni's petition to adopt is denied and she is devestated to learn that one of the partners wrote a negative letter to the Dept. of Children Services,

May 14, 2001

The staff has a week to stop the execution of a 25 year old man who shot up his high school 7 years earlier.

May 21, 2001

Lynn works to get a 14-year old prostitute emancipated so she can be independent and get off the streets; Joe and Danni represent a man who wants custody of the embryos he and his ex-wife have frozen; Randi turns to an unlikely source when she can't get her granddaughter to sleep through the night.

Sep 24, 2001

Lynn represents a cancer patient who wants to be able to receive experimental medication banned by the FDA; Raphael again pleads with Danni to adopt him; two new associates join the firm; and Joe's overextending himself working on pro bono cases has a tragic consequence.

Oct 1, 2001

Randy and Emily represent a former drug addict who is trying to reclaim custody of the children she signed away; Danni continues in her quest to adopt Rapheal; Despite everyone's objections, Joe continues his pro bono work.

Oct 8, 2001

Lynn and Viveca try to help a 14 year old girl who was arrested for spray painting hate messages on buildings; Emily represents parents who want to keep their cerebral palsy afflicted daughter out of public high school against her wish; Joe uses Naoise to help him do pro bono work.

Oct 15, 2001

Joe helps a 16-year old boy get custody of his two younger brothers; Naoise defends a teenager who is charged with misdemeanor vandalism when he uses a slingshot to get rid of a drug dealer in his neighborhood; Randi asks Lynn to be Annie's guardian should anything happen to her.

Oct 22, 2001

When Joe is badly burned in a fire started by a teen who was trying to make drugs, Rex goes after the publisher of the book the boy was using; Emily hires a private investigator to test the fidelity of her client's husband---something Randi finds reprehensible. However, to her suprise, Randi finds herself attracted to the man.

Oct 29, 2001

Lynn fights to help a couple retain custody of their 14 children when DCF decides they can not adequately care for them; Randi represents a man seeking to maintain the amount of child support he receives from his ex-wife.

Nov 5, 2001

Lynn reluctantly helps her neighbor with his child support settlement with his mistress while keeping it a secret from his wife; Joe and Viveca help a mother whose son was taken away after she spanked him in a department store.

Nov 12, 2001

The firm takes on the case of an Arab-American, who works for the Department of Transportation, charged with espionage after he takes home a disk containing classified information.

Nov 19, 2001

Randi helps a mentally unstable woman charged with murder after her children die after waiting in a locked car; Joe represents a woman whose kids were taken away because she left them alone at home while she worked; Rex and Lynn's relationship takes a suprising turn.

Dec 10, 2001

Emily aids a woman who wants a divorce on the grounds that her husband committed adultery by carrying on a relationship with a woman over the Internet; Lynn defends a 40-year-old friend who is arrested for having sex with a 15-year-old boy; Randi starts dating a judge and then discovers he has a secret past that could end his career

Dec 17, 2001

: A man sues his ex-wife for fraud when he learns the two boys he raised are not his biological sons; divorcing parents argue over who will get their son on Christmas day; a tall, skinny man sues a department store after the owner refuses to hire him as an elf.

Jan 7, 2002

Rex represents a bipolar 8-year-old boy who was given up by his adoptive parents because of his violent outbursts; Lynn and Naoise assist a priest in his efforts to gain custody of a daughter he never knew existed until the girl's mother died.

Jan 14, 2002

The firm sues the local police department when Naoise is fatally injured after being caught in gangster gunfire while visiting a client; Viveca helps a 85-year old woman gain custody of her 10-year old grandson.

Feb 4, 2002

Under the glare of documentarians doing a film on stem cell research, the firm works together against the clock in representing a woman fighting for the right to have her unborn child delivered prematurely so that the infant's stem cells can be used to save the life of her older son who's dying from aplastic anemia; Viveca decides to keep her baby.

Feb 25, 2002

Lynn and Emily fight to keep their client out of jail on the parole violation of fathering another child while being in arrears for child support of his other children. Joe and Viveca represent an old friend of Joe's who was arrested for drunk driving -- in his wheelchair. Lynn struggles with Michael over his not being there enough for their children. Rex offers to spend some quality time with Rupie so that Lynn can take Cassie to the ballet for her birthday. Rex and Rupie really hit it off, which draws Lynn and Rex even closer. Viveca decides to keep the baby. Although Joe agrees to support her in every way, he begins to have difficulty with the prospect of impending fatherhood.

Mar 4, 2002

Viveca objects so strongly to Joe's representing a teacher who is contesting the validity of a statewide teacher's proficiency exam that she resigns from the firm and agrees to argue the case for the opposing side; Lynn and Rex petition the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for their 12 year old genius client, whose parents refuse to allow him to leave home to attend M.I.T.

Mar 18, 2002

Lynn and Rex opt for an unconventional solution in blocking a mass cult wedding during which their clients' daughter is to be married to a stranger; Joe fights a restraining order that prevents him from visiting a young boy whom he mentored while the boy's father was incarcerated.

Mar 25, 2002

William Price hires Lynn to keep his ex-wife Kathy, a former drug addict, from getting custody of their two boys. Lynn doesn't see any problem until William reveals that he lives with five women and has children with all of them. Kathy's lawyer tells the Department of Children and Family Services about William's ""family,"" and the department decides to put all eight children into foster care. Realizing their court strategy back-fired and the situation is only hurting the children, Kathy joins William to regain custody of the children. They agree to joint custody, William accepting Kathy's rights as a mother and Kathy accepting William's lifestyle. Randi and Emily help a family take on their HMO, which refuses to cover an expensive treatment that has helped their son's life-threatening illness. When the judge rules against them, the father gets fired so his family can qualify for state health insurance, which would cover the son's treatment. The state claims fraud and denies them insuran

Apr 8, 2002

Randi and Viveca represent a highly qualified high school senior who was passed over for college admittance in favor of a less qualified classmate under the college's legacy program. In court, Randi exposes how racially discriminatory the legacy policy is, leading to a victory for their client. Lynn is disturbed by Rex's strategy in defending his friend accused of rape, which causes her to question the wisdom of their relationship. After Joe goads her into meeting a man that she's been chatting with online for several months, Emily overcomes her initial reluctance to date someone who's not her type.

Apr 15, 2002

Randi defends her cousin Marcie after she's arrested for abusing her Alzheimers-afflicted mother; when Joe goes to drastic measures to help a teenager get custody of his daughter, Emily comes up with the better solution; Cassie is suspended after she publishes an article in the school paper criticizing day care programs.

May 27, 2002

Joe and Emily represent an a would-be bride who refuses to sign a prenuptial agreement because she believes her fiance was having an affair; Viveca helps a couple adopt a child from a surrogate mother who is reneging on the deal; Rex and Lynn go to Las Vegas to get an annulment; Randi tries to find a dying man's beloved ""Muffin"".