Meet Judith
A paralegal, wife, divorcée, and relationship renovation expert — rebuilding lives, one day at a time.
"Been there, done that. My approach is personal because I can relate."
My Story
Like you, my family life saw its share of ups and downs. My father was an alcoholic who sometimes engaged in domestic abuse. That made for dicey dynamics at home. My mother was a realtor. Her passion for her work generated my early interest in real estate and business.
I got into public relations out of college, but by my mid-30s I found the work not as fulfilling as I wanted, so I returned to school to study real estate and business law. Ultimately I gained a position as a paralegal.
Often my job found me at court managing cases. Attorneys awaiting decisions usually gathered in a separate room, where they hobnobbed over coffee. As I worked, I overheard family law attorneys—the ones handling divorce and custody cases—bad-mouthing their clients incessantly. This disturbed me.
By this time I was in my second marriage, and it had gone sour. I, too, was a statistic. Listening to these cruel remarks broke my heart. None of these lawyers were married. None had endured what their clients were going through. None understood the emotional riptides of a broken marriage, the shattering of commitment. None were sensitive to the fragile souls of their clients. None of them cared.
"You have to feel it to heal it."
This got my dander up. Those clients were just like me! They needed someone in their court (to coin a phrase) to stand up for them, someone sincerely devoted to their case.
Every morning after sleepless nights, I wondered grimly what the day would bring. No doubt, it would be another emotional roller coaster, watching clients filled with hopelessness and negativity. All that uncertainty and pain filled me with anxiety. Those poorly represented clients were floundering in the same muck.
As I struggled through my second divorce, I vowed to become that advocate for others. I wanted to approach clients without judgement, but with a heart that acknowledged hurt. I moved into family law with a goal to move people from uncertainty to hope and healing. It’s as much a calling as a profession.
Looking back, I’m amused to remember that one of my professors in law school, when I was pursuing real estate and business law, kept pushing me toward family law. Because of my family history, I resisted, tooth and nail. I surely had no intention of ever revisiting that. He saw in me, however, what I could not see in myself—an affinity, or rather a heart, for helping others overcome heavy-duty emotional baggage.
Credentials
I have walked many people through their critical journeys. My personal experience and skills, gained over a 40-year period, position me uniquely to serve my clients well.
Paralegal Certification, Boston University
Work in 4 Law Firms
Court Room Experience
Knowledge of Restraining Order Process
Understanding of Massachusetts Divorce & Family Laws
Executive Coaching & Training at Fortune 1000 Companies
BA, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
BA, Salzburg, Austria