What really happens when you dedicate your career to helping people navigate one of life’s most challenging transitions.
I almost never set an alarm. I’m not a super early riser, but I figure my body well wake up when it’s ready. Lately, I get up before my wife and I’m in charge of getting the coffee going and she is in charge of getting the dogs outside to potty. I help out with feeding them but we generally stay in our lane. I sit down at the computer with a coffee to check email for emergencies and then check twitter/news to make sure the country isn’t blowing up more than it is. No two days are alike in family law. Today is a non-court day so to be productive as possible, proper planning is necessary. The prep started last night with a quick check of the client list and the general outline of the tasks to accomplish for the following day and general game plan on how to do that.
Morning: Preparation is Everything
My paralegal arrives at 9:00am and we generally arrive at the same time. It’s borderline mandatory we spend 20 minutes shooting the breeze over a cup of coffee before we get going. I have found our work daynamic goes WAY smoother if we have some small talk about common interests (usually food or cooking and life updates). We end the chitchat with a plan on who is going to do what for the morning and we will reconvene around lunch. I’m digging in for a temporary hearing prep with client prep, exhibit list and a spreadsheet. She already worked the file yesterday and shelled most of the documents I’ll finish this morning. We signed a new client yesterday and she is going to set up that file, email new client intake documents and touch base with the client. I open the file I’m working on and her spreadsheet skills are excellent. I get the usual morning phone interruptions and client emails with questions. Finish the temporary order prep around 11:45am, then respond to client emails with an answer or propose we talk in the afternoon to talk it out rather than in email.
Lunch: The Human Side of Legal Practice
I can’t do lunch outside of the office. By the time I get in my car from the office valet, find parking in Dallas, eat, drive back to the office and then settle in for the afternoon, I have wasted over 1.5 hours. Instead, the usual go to office meal is tunafish and crackers – or – leftovers either I brought in from home or paralegal brought in. My paralegal is an excellent cook. I generally eat lunch with my paralegal and lunch entails food, chitchat about client issues, current events, family gossip (she recently lost a cousin from back home, so I got the update on funeral arrangements), and depending on which day of the week, cooking plans for the weekends. It’s not uncommon for one of us to find a recipe to talk about, then both secretly cook that recipe over the weekend, and then the shit-talking of who made the better version on Monday inevitably ensues. We have both bumped into each other at Central Market on Friday afternoons shopping for the recipe we talked about earlier in the week. She is really strong with fish recipes, and I think I’m better with chicken and steak in general. We keep lunch short and sweet and end with a plan for the afternoon. She finished her morning projects so we regroup, I review/delegate what’s the next priority, and set project goals for the afternoon. We both work on inventories for different clients this afternoon.
Afternoon: Projects and Loose Ends
I open up the inventory I am going to work on and immediately rip off an email to the client asking if they can talk this afternoon. There are way more separate property issues than I first thought and the client has to walk me through some of this and clarify. Client is hyper vigilant and almost instantly responds and we agree to talk then. Phone call was productive. Client clarified how they handled some of their assets during their marriage and I explained what we need to do. Super productive.
I finish that project and pick up a few more and put a nice dent into my todo list. The prep from this morning raised some nagging issues I can’t resolve mentally, so I pick up the phone and call that client asking them to clarify some things. I’m glad I did. They corrected their parenting timeline that will require a partial rewrite of some of the work from this morning. We agree to talk again tomorrow after I have had a chance to digest the new information.
Evening: The Road Goes on Forever
It’s middle summer in North Texas and a Tuesday. My favorite day during the summer. I have a short drive home, greeted by two wonderful huskies (and a wife) and Tuesday night means one thing in my household: Tuesday Night Cycling World Championships. It’s an impromptu gathering of about 30-40 cyclists every Tuesday and Thursday during summer months to compete on a set course on road bicycles. It’s super fast, intense, and somewhat short, so you are home before the sun sets. Ride starts at 6:30pm and we roll out. There are all skill levels from beginners to local professionals and as the ride goes on, it slowly splinters and riders fall off leaving a final grand sprint to the finish, from anywhere from 5 riders to maybe 10 or so. It’s a fantastic way to put your work day behind you, give 100% focus on something other than work, and generally provides a mental reset from the day. My wife joins me and we slow ride back to the house side by side and it’s good time to catch up on each other’s day. The humidity, even in heat, provides a relaxing cooling effect as I soft pedal home. It’s kind of an unwritten rule on Tuesday and Thursdays that dinner is on your own and I generally just do a protein shake after a shower. My stomach won’t take much more from riding hard in the Texas summer heat. After I clean up (yes, I sweat), I log on to the computer, send some emails, check in with clients and set up appointments for tomorrow, if necessary.
Reflection: Why This Work Matters
As I close my laptop, I reflect on the day’s events both personally and professionally. Morning client feels good about the plan that is coming together for her hearing and the afternoon client got answers to various questions, so I can sleep better tonight knowing she has a roadmap for protecting her financial future. I made it to the road riding sprint tonight and was blown apart by stronger riders in the sprint wind up and I’m ok with that. The ride gave me what I needed. I worked out hard, took a mental break, spent time with the wife and the huskies, and yes, I’m now tired.
This work isn’t glamorous like TV legal dramas suggest. It’s intellectually challenging. But it’s also deeply meaningful by helping people navigate their worst days and emerge stronger on the other side.
In family law, we don’t just practice law, we help people rebuild their futures.
If you’re facing family legal challenges, remember that experienced counsel can make all the difference in protecting your interests and your family’s future. Every case is unique, and personalized legal advice is essential.
