Why I Chose to Specialize in Family Law

by Alisa Peskin-Shepherd | Sep 27, 2021 | Family Law

I always wanted to be able to help people on an emotional level, but I did not always want to be an attorney.

I grew up in a family full of divorces. As a young girl, I never saw a long-term relationship as possible, let alone as an example.

As I considered career options, I thought I might work in counseling, helping people work through emotions and situations. In fact, I wanted to stay away from family law because I had experienced so many divorces, but I was really good at listening and helping people feel better.

Ultimately, I realized I could bring a compassionate approach to family law to help people through what I already knew was a trying situation. As a little girl, I was always told that I was good at arguing, and that I needed a career where I could be self-sufficient.

There were no lawyers in my family that I was close with. I didn’t see a lot of professions in the bubble where I lived. My mother was a geriatric social worker, and besides that, I knew about professional careers like medicine, law, accounting and dentistry. My step-father was a salesperson.

I suppose in every profession, you become a salesperson of sorts, but as an out-and-out career, it did not interest me. So law became my chosen path, even though I vowed it would not be.

And you know what? I’ve come to love this work.

Yes, it’s difficult and challenging, and it can be exhausting at times. I see great people at their worst moments, often. But I get to help them through those tough times, and for that I am grateful.

As my firm has grown, I’ve transitioned into spending more time on building a practice, learning to manage my team, and connecting in different ways to clients. I’ve always kept my mediation practice strong because of that urge to bring compassion and assistance to people in need.

It’s also what drew me to Collaborative Divorce – the team approach to family law is compassionate and collegial, not acrimonious and angry.

I started Transitions Legal in 2013, and it’s been a long road of growth and some bumps, too. We are still building, even though we’ve outgrown our new space already. There is always more to learn. For now, though, I am pleased with what we have created: a law firm like no other, with a compassionate ear and a long legacy of expertise. We serve our clients well. And that makes me very happy.