5 /5 Chris Held: I am so grateful for the experience that I had working with Mrs. Vander Wal. She was always there when the times got tough. I always felt like I was heard, valued and when the time came for court it showed in the results.
***IMPORTANT GENERAL INFO*** These people "lawyers" are dealing with intense and very emotionally charged situations. We (clients) end up in desperate situations and we feel powerless so we tend to rely on our lawyers to do the work. We feel everything needs to stop and focus on our pain and suffering. Youre not powerless. Take a look in the mirror, take a deep breath, feel good knowing your concern was sent out to someone that might be able to help and then take a look at what you can actually do something yourself. There is a lot that you can do yourself to figure things out and also make the job of the lawyer easier and actually expedite your process. Try your best to not shut down out of fear, but to use that fear to push yourself into doing the work to move forward. You can get a lot done yourself if you understand you are capable if you call the right people, ask the right questions and fill out the right forms. Your lawyer is there to help you the best they can and if you give them the things they need they can add that to their arsenal to be more efficient and effective.
If your lawyer doesnt get to you right away please remember they might be working on cases that are horrendous and also dangerous to the wellbeing of children. These cases need to be prioritized and yours might pale in comparison. Just have comfort in knowing your voice has been documented and they will respond when they can reasonably do so. Lawyers deal with really difficult situations and need to have time to shut down and detach from the severe mental strain of their work. Just know you are not alone and most likely you might not have it as bad as it feels in the moment.
You are capable, you are worthy and you can be powerful if you are able to channel your energy into doing some work yourself.
Also, everything documented can and will probably be used against you. Be wise in your communication with your opposition. My best advice is to not respond immediately in a reactionary way. Take time to cool off, gather your thoughts and respond in an intelligent and calculated way. You will protect yourself from dealing with the consequences of poor choices. Words, especially typed, can be as bad as actions and once documented can haunt you the rest of your life.
