The philosophy that guides me as a family lawyer is to always remember that there is not a one-size fits all approach to family law cases. What I mean by that is there are numerous clients out there and several families and different types of families. There are traditional families meaning there’s a husband and wife with 2.5 children and the point five is usually a dog. And then there are also families that are more unique and modern where we’re dealing with a blended family where maybe a couple has been divorced and remarried or even families in the LGBT communicate.

As an attorney and representing someone through the divorce process or even a modification is it’s my job to listen and really get to know what my client’s needs are and what their goals are as well. I spend a lot of time with my clients coming up with a creative approach to their family law issue that’s facing them at the moment. My job is also to help the navigate the process and I know a lot of my former clients would probably say that I’m never going to sugarcoat something but I’m always going to try to deliver maybe some tough messages as in a kind and as straightforward way as possible.

As a law student I worked as a mediator for the family courts. By going through that process, I got to see a lot of different people. I got to learn a lot about different families. I also realized that there is not a one size fits all solution to these sorts of situations. Whether it is someone who’s facing addiction and still wanting to parent, someone who’s on the other side of that who’s worried about their child with a parent who has another parent with an addictive personality.

My experience as a mediator I think also gives me a really big advantage as a practicing attorney as well. So currently, in my practice not only do I represent clients in divorces or other family law matters but I also mediate cases. And throughout my career I have mediated well over 250 cases as the mediator. And that gives me a really unique position to be able to talk to clients, prepare them for litigation and also mediation as well because I’ve seen what happens on both sides of mediations during those times.