32 www.lawyer-monthly.com Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2024 the most challenging and personal moments and phases of their lives. The most rewarding aspect is not only providing my legal expertise but also helping clients regain a sense of direction in stressful situations they perceive to be hopeless, helping them to look positively towards the future and guiding them there. How do you handle the emotionally charged nature of family law cases, and can you share a particularly challenging case you’ve worked on? Emotions often play a key role in family law, especially in child custody cases or in cases involving existential concerns due to insufficient financial security. It is important to allow the necessary space for emotions without allowing them to override your legal judgement. In each individual case, the clients are faced by unique challenges. My job is to listen empathetically, take my clients’ emotions seriously and at the same time show them the necessary, goal-oriented and effective legal steps to take. In doing so, I always endeavour to find a holistic solution that meets both the legal requirements while also taking account of the emotional and practical needs of my clients. What role does mediation play in your practice, and how do you approach it in complex family disputes? Mediation is a valuable way of shortening or avoiding lengthy court proceedings and reducing the emotional burden for all parties involved. It can take place both before and during the court proceedings. Mediation allows the parties involved to talk to each other in a protected environment and reach an amicable agreement together. A mediator helps the parties involved to take responsibility and deal constructively with the conflict and find a solution that is acceptable for both sides. However, mediation does not constitute the right approach in every situation. There are situations in which mediation is not (yet) the right course of action. If I should arrive at the conclusion that mediation is not (yet) the appropriate approach, I communicate this transparently to my clients. In such cases, I support them in finding alternative ways that are better suited to their needs and the situation. How do you ensure a balance between empathy for your clients and the need for legal objectivity? Self-reflection is also important in order to strike a balance between empathy and legal objectivity. I listen very attentively to my clients to begin with, and take their emotional needs seriously. At the same time, I analyse the situation from an objective, legal perspective in order to develop the best strategy. This clear separation enables me to act in a way that is both supportive on a human level and also with the professional precision to best represent my clients’ interests. How do you stay updated with the constantly evolving family law landscape? I keep up to date by continuously attending professional Q Q Q Q The most rewarding aspect is not only providing my legal expertise but also helping clients regain a sense of direction in stressful situations they perceive to be hopeless, helping them to look positively towards the future and guiding them there. “
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