Angela Walker – June 2018
As J.K. Rowling said, “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”
I often comment to clients that the best part of my work is hearing the stories of new beginnings after divorce. When I initially meet with clients, they are often at their worst and most vulnerable. Deeply sad, scared, anxious, riddled with shame and guilt, dosed with feelings of failure, and fearful of the future. And this makes sense. Divorce and separation are significant life events. No one wants to be sitting in my office to talk about the end of their relationship. It is sad.
It is also an incredible privilege that I have as a family lawyer to listen to the stories clients share and guide them, legally, through the labyrinth of separation. And no two stories are alike. Clients separate for a myriad of reasons, from financial stress, to parenting stress, to growing apart and differently with the passage of time. The common theme is that very few clients can envision their life after divorce.
What I see in my work, at the end of the process, are incredible transformations. For some, this process takes longer than others but inevitably, it happens. Nothing makes me happier then hearing from clients, long after their files have been closed, to share the excitement and joy of the next chapter in their lives. From reeducation and new jobs, to worldly travels, to new relationships, to simply rediscovering themselves and settling into a life of simplicity. The narratives are rich with optimism and hope.
And so, while I routinely get asked “how can you practice family law”, or told “I could never do what you do”, I smile inside. This work is incredibly rewarding. It has depth. It is intellectually and emotionally challenging. It is never boring. And I feel, strongly, that our team at MDW Law, plays a large role in helping our clients transition to the next phase of their lives.