Over the past two years I have been spending a lot of time looking inward to better define my purpose as a family law and estate planning attorney. Many things including the pandemic motivated me to do a deep dive on what really matters to me in my practice and in my life. The process of coming up with this one sentence took weeks of introspection and pages of thoughts and ideas.
It is with this background I decided to share the work I have done to determine my true purpose as a family law attorney:
“My purpose is to use my knowledge and experience to empower and strategize with clients on their life transformation journey to create success, independence and security with confidence and determination.”
Whew! That’s a lot – – so I’d like to break it down for you, my friends, clients and those of you who kindly refer clients to me:
Knowledge and Experience
I have practiced law for over 20 years. As a lifelong learner, I have committed myself to enhancing my knowledge every day about the practice of family law, particularly cases involving financial complexities, business ownership, deferred compensation, and helping business owners, physicians and other medical professionals end their marriages and move on to the next chapter of their lives. My knowledge and experience creates the foundation from which I serve my clients.
Empower and Strategize
My clients know that their best interests are always at the forefront of every recommendation I make. I provide options and ideas for my clients to consider while acknowledging the decisions on case strategy are ultimately theirs to make. I want my clients to feel confident and empowered – and to play an active role in the dissolution of their marriage.
Life Transformation Journey
There is no doubt that divorce creates a life transformation. I view my role as not just the person who can execute the “transaction” of a divorce. Rather, I see my role as providing the support and resources my clients need to pursue their life goals during and after their divorce. I draw upon many resources to help my clients throughout their journey including psychologists, parenting consultants, book recommendations, retreats, and many other helpful tools. First and foremost, my clients are people going through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives. I meet my clients where they are personally and psychologically to help guide them on their life transformation through the divorce process.
Create Success, Independence and Security
Many people fear their life will never be the same after divorce. I work with each client to help plan their post-divorce life by analyzing and assessing what “success” looks like for them, how to independently move into the next phase of their life, and how to define security, whether it be emotional, financial, or other. Once I help my clients define and identify what their future can look like, we move forward confidently knowing their life goals are at the forefront of every decision we make together.
Confidence and Determination
Divorce can shake even the strongest person’s confidence in themselves. I believe confidence comes from knowing you have control over your life and the decisions you make. You are not at the mercy of an impersonal legal system. By strategically focusing on the goals you have after your divorce, you can move confidently with determination into your future – a future you design.
I think it’s very important for my clients and colleagues to know what is important to me and how my purpose drives the work I do with my clients. A couple of books that have been important in my own journey are The Success Principles, The Tapping Solution, and Ikigai.