What I Did Not Expect Becoming a Mom Would Teach Me About Practicing Law 

I began thinking differently about what clients were walking back into after they left our office: grieving families, children depending on them, and responsibilities that continue even in the middle of it all, buried under loss and uncertainty. In my practice, that often means thinking beyond the legal transfer of assets to what happens the next morning when a loved one loses capacity or passes away. Who is getting the children to school? Who is managing the bills and finances? Where are assets located? This is reality, and the things we help families handle while grief collides with a new reality. 

That awareness changed the way I approached conversations with clients. I found myself listening differently, paying closer attention to pauses, hesitation, and the stress people were carrying beneath otherwise practical conversations. In ways I had not anticipated, becoming a mom sharpened what I rely on most: compassionate listening, steady judgment under pressure, and the ability to guide people through uncertainty with clarity. 

As I reflect on our team at Law Stein Anderson, particularly the women and moms around me, I see the care they pour into our clients every day. They bring steadiness, emotional intelligence, and thoughtfulness to situations that are often both deeply personal and legally complex. 

Much of our work centers on family, legacy, grief, and life transitions. Clients are often navigating some of the most emotionally difficult periods of their lives. Legal knowledge and technical skill matter enormously, but so does the ability to remain compassionate and grounded during conflict, to communicate thoughtfully in emotionally difficult moments, and to help people feel supported. 

Over time, I also came to appreciate that trust is not a soft metric in this profession. Trust is earned when people feel both protected legally and understood personally. Clients want attorneys who understand not only the legal framework surrounding a decision but also the human realities behind it. In litigation, especially, that often means remaining steady without unnecessarily escalating conflict and helping people navigate emotionally charged situations with clarity and perspective. 

For a long time, I carried the internal mom guilt of running a successful practice while raising three amazing kids. But over time, I realized being a mom hasn’t pulled me away from this work—it has grounded me more deeply in why it matters. The work we do impacts real lives, often during some of the hardest moments families will ever experience. Helping people feel supported and cared for during those periods is one of the parts of this work that matters most to me. That is my why: to do meaningful work that leaves people—and the world—a little better because I chose to care. And every day, I hope my kids see that purpose is built in the small, consistent decisions to show up and make a difference.