Who Are You Dealing With, Here?

My father was an attorney.  I was around the business all my life.  My undergraduate degree was in psychology, so I never intended on following in Dad's footsteps until toward the end of my college career.  About that time it became quite obvious that my early marriage (at 18 in my second year of college) would preclude me from winging off to exotic academia for graduate studies in psychology.

 

Yes, law school was a fall-back plan, borne of the twin elements of necessity and heritage.  It must have been a strong pull because my brother followed my suit, then his daughter after him.  Our sister is one of our capable paralegals.  All three siblings ended up in the biz--and a niece to boot.

 

Happily, fate has a way of working these things out.  I got the best of all worlds in my profession: a good living, a family tradition, and a fascinating study of human nature that is every bit as enriched as that of which any psycholgist can boast.  I believe I have the best ring-side seat to human drama that there is.

 

In fact, in a burst of hubris one day I told a therapist friend of mine, "You have such a cushy job!"  He took afront and said, "Why, on earth, would you say that?"

 

My answer: "Because I do about everything you do, but after my guy leaves I have to file Motions and fight with attorneys and make decisions about his liife, and go to court.  You get to say, 'See you next week'"  He was forced to agree.

 

And the pressure is immense.  The potential for a family law attorney to disappoint is huge. Most of us have so many balls in the air that occasionally one is bound to drop to some extent.  Calls don't get made back in time, results aren't what the client expects--it is hard to please anyone involved in a domestic litigation.  Judges and divorce lawyers often say that if everyone leaves the courtroom somewhat upset, then probably the right thing was done.

 

But, still, I love my work, and I take pride in the fact that it appears to me to be one of the most important jobs on earth.  I call myself a "family lawyer."  What that translates, however, is "divorce lawyer" in the vast majority of cases, and divorce is a big deal to families. 

 

When someone's home shatters, especially a child's, it rends their very hearts.  I feel that the service I give, guiding people through these awful times can make their children's lives a bit more tolerable by my influence in their parents' mess. 

Even clients without children suffer terribly when their marriage ends.  It is my hope that my representation not only protects their legal interests but  makes the process a bit easier on them.

And that's what this blog is about. 

I hope that this blog and my other writings can be a help to those many of us out there who are suffering from family legal troubles.  I don't presume to give you legal advice, per se.  You need your own attorney in your area to do that.  But I have a lot of practical advice and insights that I can share with you. 

 

I hope that you will share, too.  I am interested in your stories, else I would not be typing on this blog.  I hope you will visit my other site, Broken Home Broken Heart and view the resources there and, yes, buy my books! 

 

But most of all, let me hear from you!  c.