Looking back on 12 years of Transitions Legal, part of me wishes I had started this way of practicing family law sooner—it’s that good!!
This was me way back when…
In reality, I started practicing on my own before 2013, but that was the year I rebranded as Transitions Legal and started really thinking about how I practice family law, why I practice that way, and how I want to be know as a divorce lawyer.
What changed at that time to propel me into all of this was that I realized I wanted to grow a law firm. I had been building my legal practice and by 2013, I wanted to support and mentor other professionals.
So I embarked on a branding campaign and a thoughtful messaging development initiative to articulate who I am as a lawyer and how I practice family law.
I’ll be honest—I envisioned growing this firm to include younger associates who would carry the mantle of my approach to family law and maybe one day, take over the firm when I chose to retire. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Transitions Legal has always remained small with a lean, focused team.
But I am so proud of what I’ve built! What began as a unique approach to practicing “mediative” family law—a term I coined which meant bringing a Mediator’s lens to the practice of divorce law, even in litigation—has evolved to be a completely new way of looking at the legal aspects of divorce.
I’ve been fortunate to be interviewed in news media often over the years, to share my unique approach to family law
Fast forward 12 years and I am excited about focusing solely on Mediation and out-of-court divorce processes like Collaborative Divorce.
I grew the firm for years, and now it’s time for me to focus on my own practice and how I want to show up in the divorce space. I’ve always aligned my values with my legal practice and that remains true today.
As individuals we constantly grow and change, and I am seeing that with myself, too. While once I was driven by the energy of court-room cases, now it’s the last thing in want to be involved in.
I’ve seen so much unnecessary battling and combativeness that it’s turned me off entirely to court-based divorce.
Thankfully, over the years, I have developed my skills to be able to focus on out-of-court divorce processes like Mediation and Collaborative Divorce. I’ve built global relationships that have built my legal practice in new and unexpected ways!
All these years of running Transitions Legal has been a process of refining my legal style and watching the times change to align with my preferred ways to practice divorce law. Today, people are more receptive to out-of-court approaches—in fact, many clamor to it!
Older people seeking Gray Divorces—divorce after age 50—are especially included to choose out-of-court processes for divorce. They don’t want to engage in needless sniping and pettiness. They know there is another way, as do I.
They are older and wiser and don’t want attorneys speaking for them. They don’t need that, frankly, and I am happy to let my clients lead. I always have been!
Younger people today are more mindful of money and want to spend their hard-earned savings in other areas. I can’t blame them! Who wants to pour all their cash down the divorce drain?
My younger clients prioritize travel and homeownership over fighting.
I’ve been working with my marketing guru Lynne Golodner since the very beginning of Transitions Legal
It’s a meeting of the minds and times. My focus now, in addition to out-of-court divorce processes, is bringing along other attorneys who want to find alternative, less combative ways to practice family law.
Many young attorneys these days don’t have any interest in litigating! They see there are better ways to end marriages, many having never been in an actual court building due to the pandemic.
The industry is changing—perhaps it’s waking up—as we all learn better ways to settle grievances.
Twelve years into this entrepreneurial ride, I can honestly say that I’ve been pleased, I’ve been surprised, and I’ve continued to grow. What more could a divorce attorney ask for?