Christine M. Wilson-Smith
Not all divorces are lengthy and contentious, but none of them are without emotional hardship. As the oldest of three children, my parents’ divorce was relatively straightforward and my siblings and I were able to avoid the court process.
But divorce continues well beyond the last signature on court paperwork.
The raw emotion from divorce is something I know intimately. I carried childhood guilt about my parents’ divorce and always wondered if I was the reason they split up. I became anxious with ongoing decisions about where to spend holidays and school breaks, and I felt a duty to my younger siblings to shield them from the same emotions. Even though the divorce wasn’t nasty, none of us were spared from the inner turmoil that divorce brings.
I am an optimistic person by nature and firmly believe that There is always light at the end of the tunnel, and I remind our clients of that as often as needed. In the moment, things can feel hopeless, but better days are always ahead. Today, I have my own family and take the lessons learned from my parents’ divorce to strengthen my own marriage — my parents and their respective spouses have become friends, and we are all able to gather together and celebrate life’s moments!
Before working in family law, I focused on real estate matters. When it comes to divorce, the distribution of property can be one of the stickiest issues couples face when ending their marriage, and my deep basis of knowledge of real estate law helps smooth out the process. I’m a problem-solver by nature and what I like about working with Lauren is that we employ a practical, solution-based, approach to difficult family law matters. The emotions of family law can be overwhelming and make it feel like there is no way to “fix” a problem. But, that is when I’m at my best because I will work tirelessly to help find a solution or sort through the logistics; however complex.
The most important skill I’ve learned in family law is the ability to truly listen. So often our clients don’t feel heard, whether in their personal lives or with attorneys they have worked with in the past. I deeply believe that each person who calls us should be treated with the respect they deserve. When we connect during that first call, I ask about immediate needs and long-term goals, which helps our entire team determine the best attorney and approach to successfully meet their goals.
That first phone call is often the most emotional, and I want each client to know that we are on their side and recognize their pain.
When I’m not at work, I take my training from culinary school (yes – before becoming a paralegal I worked in restaurants, so don’t hesitate to ask me how to adapt your favorite recipes for a smaller household!) and spoil my family with home cooked meals. I love to play softball and found a new love of refinishing furniture. I spend the rest of my non-office life juggling busy kid schedules (so I understand the importance of communication between co-parents to limit disruption to the kids’ activities) and wrangling our menagerie of animals. Our cat Duke is definitely king of the household.