The first thing I generally ask my clients is: “Why are you here?” And that's asked in all seriousness. Sometimes my clients are initiating the process, and sometimes they are reacting to what their spouse has initiated. There are many motivations.

In fact, the ensuing conversation often has little to do with divorce or the legal process – sometimes it's just an opportunity to start talking, to build some personal rapport, and to understand what's going on in

one's life. I like working with people – and for people – to get them through it.

I joined Jeff (Williams) at Williams Family Law after years in the DA's office, and that work as a prosecutor is still part of me. I pride myself on being a litigator in every sense: that means being prepared to appear in court for my clients, thinking strategically and helping develop realistic objectives for my clients. I know a lot of family lawyers who avoid litigation. I can tell you I am not one of them.

You really can't be thin-skinned in our line of work – there are just too many shots taken, too many confrontations that ricochet through the process. Mindful of all that, Jeff, Susan and I work together well. We have similarly aggressive litigation styles. And we are all fairly thick-skinned. I know all of our clients benefit from our firm's approach to our cases.

My parents inspired in me a strong work ethic and they are the ones who put me in a position to succeed. I am a lawyer, and my young brother today is an engineer, and our parents made sure we received

the educational opportunities to do well in life. So I spend my life paying that forward.

Even in my 20 years practicing law, a lot has changed, particularly the influence of technology on the law. For starters, the constant use of smart phones and cell phones has really changed the practice. You always made it a point to return calls – that's part of being in a service business. But nowadays, with texts and emails, that is largely instantaneous. You are never really out of reach with your clients –

but one thing clients should always know is that, while we can reply right away, we can't always provide the desired information right away. Our cases are always complex and multi-faceted – and it takes

time not simply to gather relevant information but also develop a sound legal position for our clients.

I enjoy practicing law – but it's not all that I do. I love automobiles, and travel as well. I find that my family-law clients and I have many shared interests, and we generally like and respect each other. You'd be surprised how all of that contributes to better outcomes.