When she first called my office, she was surprised that I answered the phone rather than a secretary or receptionist. She asked for an appointment and as we confirmed time, she surprised me with the question, “I just want to make sure, you are a Christian Lawyer, aren’t you?”
Confronting this question in my office on numerous occasions, I have a standard answer, “No, I am an attorney and a Christian, but I am not a Christian Lawyer.” Unfortunately, this answer works much better in person than over the phone so I inquired as to her motive for asking. It turns out, she wanted someone she could trust not to “break up her marriage” unless it was really necessary.
With half my practice being Family Law cases, I sometimes introduce myself as a Divorce Lawyer. I do this with the knowledge that some people will immediately conjure some LA Law or Boston Legal stereotype trying to fit me into their little box. “Oh he’s one of those,” they will immediately think and dismiss me from their list for Christmas Cards.
The truth is, I have NEVER broken up a marriage. In fact, I have been happily married for more than 20 years, to my first and only wife. Only after I had served as a Guardian Ad Litem for several children, both in Divorce cases and in Abuse cases, did I even consider practicing divorce and Family Law.
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