Gonser and Gonser opens Sussex office
When Andrew and William Gonser decided to expand their law office to Sussex County, it seemed only natural they would hang out their shingle in a 100-year-old Georgetown building that once housed another lawyer.
Specializing in family law, Gonser and Gonser PA now has an office in each county. With the father and son team overlooking the firm, each office has its own managing attorney. Ashley Bickel in Georgetown and Erin Fitzgerald in Dover manage the downstate offices.
“There are not a lot of attorneys who practice in all three counties,” said Andrew “Drew” Gonser.
The Law Office of Andrew W. Gonser PA was established Sept. 1, 2005. Four months later, William “Bill” Gonser retired from DuPont after more than 36 years and joined his son Drew to form Gonser and Gonser PA.
Unlike the beginnings of a traditional start-up law firm opening with an existing client portfolio, Gonser and Gonser started in Wilmington with no client base. The firm got a kick start earning a state contract with Delaware Division of Family Services to represent parents in foster care cases.
The move to Georgetown is a fitting one because the Gonsers have a family home in Lewes and are members of the Lewes Yacht Club. “There is a strong connection and family history in Lewes, and it's exciting for us to be part of the community,” Drew said.
Within a block from Family Court in Georgetown, Gonser and Gonser attorneys advise on divorce cases, alimony, custody, child support, property division, visitation, adoption and protection from abuse orders.
“We are the calming source,” says Drew. “It's hard to make decisions when you are in an emotional state. We have direct contact with our clients and clearly have an affect on their lives.”
“We really do have a chance to help people,” Bill said.
Gonser and Gonser also has experience in real estate, elder and business law.
Drew is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Widener University School of Law. He spends time with his family in Wilmington and also in Lewes.
Drew was named a Top Attorney in Delaware by Delaware Today Magazine in 2012. He was also voted a Top Attorney in Delaware by Philadelphia Magazine in 2013 and named to the Delaware Super Lawyer lists in 2013.
Bill is a graduate of University of North Carolina and University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law. He was corporate counsel for the DuPont Co. from 1980 to 2005. Bill, who also lives in Wilmington and Lewes, is experienced in real estate and business law as well as Family Court matters.
Bickel, who lives in Rehoboth Beach, is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Duke University School of Law. She served as a judicial clerk for Sussex County Family Court before starting her law career in Georgetown.
The Georgetown office is located one block from The Circle at 100 North Bedford St.. The phone is 302-362-1016.
