Law Firm Life Doesn't Have To Suck

When I was going back to work as a family and divorce lawyer during my own divorce, I needed to find a way to work full time and still take care of my four kids. Once I remarried and blended my family with my new husband's, I added my two bonus daughters to our brood. As for my ex, he lived in a different state during those early days, making a flexible schedule more necessary than ever. 

Law firms are notorious for their long work hours. As an associate, you're expected to be in the office early and go home after the sun goes down. Of course, I've met plenty of lawyers who've also seen the sun come up before getting any shut-eye. 

As a divorced, single parent, I began thinking that perhaps the legal profession wasn't the best option for raising a young family. However, it was still the option for providing me with the means to support my family financially, and I couldn't ignore that, primarily because I couldn't rely on my ex for spousal support.

So, to make the situation workable for my family and me, I left my job as a law firm associate and created my own law firm, specializing in the two areas of practice I knew best and believed would allow me to have the most positive impact on the lives of those who had gone through a divorce as I had: family and divorce law and estate planning. I already knew the value of co-parenting and wanted to spread the word through my legal approach, which is child-centered, so my clients could co-parent like CEOs long after finalizing their divorces. 

I started small and worked entirely remotely long before COVID-19 made it an option, let alone a necessity. In the comfort of my home, I was able to work faster and better, knowing I could be there for my family when they needed me as well as for my clients and their families. I was more efficient because I was happier. My existing clients saw it, and word spread quickly. 

As the cases came in, I added lawyers who valued their work and family lives the way I did. The work-life balance I created for myself, I now offered to my attorneys and support staff. That was six years ago. 

Since then, my firm has grown to over two dozen, which today includes a cohesive group of divorce and family attorneys, an estate planning department, intake specialists, a marketing team, and paralegals, among others who make our firm run smoothly, day and night. As a team member at Elise Buie Family Law Group, we all work and play by the same rules, which happen to diverge from our peers'. 

What I've found, and so have the people on our team, is that not only are we more productive at "the office" because we support each other professionally and personally, we're also happier. We love coming to work, and it shows; our clients know that when they hire us, they're getting the support of an entire team, not only the point person on their case, and that's a team with a shared philosophy where quality of life matters, our clients' included. 

As Elise Buie Family Law Group continues to grow and we're on the lookout for new talent to add to our team, I thought I'd take a few moments to share why our unique environment has made us a positively special place to work. And why if you're looking to practice law in a different way, one that doesn't, well, suck, you might want to try our methods yourself or, better yet, join us. 

We offer flexible terms and a fully remote work environment.

As a single mother of four, flexible hours were non-negotiable for me when establishing my practice. Even before the pandemic and social distancing guidelines, our firm office has always been a virtual one, supported by the home offices of every team member who works here. It's what enables us to offer a work plan and schedule to meet the needs of almost any lifestyle.

In addition, we believe personal time is crucial for sustained mental health, recharging, and promoting creativity. Therefore, we offer annual office closures for the winter holiday, including Christmas and New Year's Day, and the Fourth of July week. Additionally, we offer a monthly wellness benefit to be used as each team member pleases. 

We have big dreams as a firm and as individuals. Our workplace supports both.

We practice radical candor.

Honesty is welcome as long as it comes with respect. We all strive to make each other the best we can be to serve our clients from the top of our ability. In support of this objective, we care personally and challenge directly. We've found it's the most effective method for striking a balance between appreciation for every team member's hard work and the ideas they contribute to projects. It's mentoring at its best.

We have a passion for empowering people and take that same honest approach with our clients. We believe in using information to assist our clients in identifying their goals. As we help our clients navigate challenging legal processes, we also assess their current circumstances and help them evaluate how they can transition best into their post-divorce lives from a position of strength. We're committed to building people up instead of tearing them down, beginning with ourselves.

We have a strong sense of community.

As COVID-19 forced many law firms to adapt to a remote work environment quickly, we found ourselves well-positioned to weather and pioneer a changing landscape. Our goal became one of deepening the sense of community we already shared to support each other and our clients during an incredibly challenging time. As a result, we've become a tightly-knit staff made up of colleagues and confidants who have each other's backs. Long before the pandemic, we worked hard to create these connections.

In a traditional law office, all you often need to do is walk down the hall to talk to your coworkers. Because our office has been virtual since its inception, we've spent years supporting collaboration and team building in alternative ways. 

We want and enjoy networking, marketing, and becoming leaders in our community as much as individuals working at traditional brick-and-mortar firms do. That's why you can often find us hosting and attending remote events, such as yoga and cooking classes. When time and schedules allow, we also meet up in person. You can find us at our favorite Seattle restaurants or retreats on my waterfront property on Hood Canal for training, networking, socializing, outdoor adventure, and fun. 

We employ a diverse staff.

When clients come to us, we want them to see themselves in us, to see their faces in ours. We all come from a host of unique backgrounds. Our diverse staff reflects those differences and celebrates them. This individuality provides us with the capacity to relate to people from diverse cultural, educational, ethnic, generational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. On that foundation, we build deeper, more meaningful relationships with our clients and each other. 

Ultimately, practicing law is about helping people reach their goals while achieving fair and equitable solutions through legal channels, preferably out of court and through alternative dispute resolution, especially collaborative law and mediation. What this means, in practical terms, is that being a lawyer should be about bettering people's lives. We built our firm upon this principle, not brick by brick, but individual by individual.

If you're interested in learning more about Elise Buie Family Law Group and the possibility of joining our team, please check out our current job openings.