She leaned against the marble counter top, hand absently rubbing her swollen belly, while she looked out over the beautifully decorated mansion she needed to say goodbye to. Seven months pregnant, with no money to go and no right to stay: He had given her ‘till...
Jess Lill
Family Legacy – Part Two
A few weeks later, the wife sits waiting on the wooden bench. Her bones digging in harshly with each nervous shift, her husband holds her hand loosely as they wait to be called. The room is large and bustling with many people clustered in the gallery seating. The...
Family Legacy – Part One
On thunderous nights, like tonight, where lighting strikes illuminate the dinosaur stencil on the wall with a flash and thunder rattles the toys on the shelf, the man reminisces. As he leans against the footboard of the bed with a picture book tented half read,...
There’s a Monster In My Office!
It isn’t terribly often I have two individuals consulting in my office at the same time, about the same divorce... In fact, it only occurs when there has been someone more invested in the marriage than the actual spouse seeking the divorce. Once in awhile, that is the...
Trapped by Choices
He felt ... trapped. And more importantly, he felt tremendously guilty for feeling trapped. Worst still, it was his own doing. Five years ago, he agreed with his wife on a co-parenting arraignment that was thought to be best for their 11 year old son. He could...
Still Her Baby
The miracle of science brought forth the most cherished blessing of her life: a child. Early in her marriage a doctor sat her down and explained that while a full term pregnancy wasn’t “impossible,” it was medically implausible and risky. Stumped and staggered, having...
The Eight Year Divorce: A Real Housewife of New York Story
The immensely popular reality television show Real Housewives has catapulted dozens of women, their marriages, and often times their divorce, into the lime light. This week, Bethenny Frankel, Real Housewife of New York (RHONY) veteran, ended her two year marriage with...
Now What?
We exit the courtroom, and hang back as my now-ex spouse walks ahead. My attorney turns to me, heavy files in her hands, “You’re officially divorced,” as she passes me the dozen or so pages the judge had just signed. I ask, “now what?” I look down at the first page of...
You Can’t Shock Me.
Next to bartenders and therapists, family law attorneys hear the most intimate details of a person’s life. We’ve heard it all. So, you can’t shock me. Tell me what is going on, don’t spare the details. I need to know. I take the panicked calls from clients who...
A First Christmas
Her eight-year old daughter still believes in Santa. And for the past seven years, it's worked out well that the little girl travels to a winter wonderland each Christmas. Her father's house in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada have snow-covered roof, twinkling lights,...