ATT. SALOMON: “My parents wanted me to be a doctor. My dad is a veterinarian and my mom is a schoolteacher, so, I went through Pre-Med and graduated, but…”

HW: “Let me guess, a funny thing happened on the way to Medical School.”

ATT. SALOMON: “Well, yes, I realized that I just wasn’t happy with becoming a doctor and all the science and the chemistry of it. Then one of my Professors, Dr. Brown, suggested I get my Masters in Healthcare Administration; this way I could do things like being the Chief Operating Officer of a Hospital, or even an HMO Manager. So, I went to the University of Washington, in Seattle, for their two year program, and in the last semester of my second year we were required to take a Health Law course at their Law School, and I just really enjoyed it. I loved the way these Law students were thinking, and the Socratic method the teachers used with their questions and answers… I immediately knew this is where I needed to be.”

HW: “So, you got your Masters in Healthcare Administration and went to Law School.”

ATT. SALOMON: “Yes, I took the LSAT and got accepted into Loyola Law School, and after my first year I started working as a Law Clerk at one of the biggest Malpractice Firms in Downtown, and they hired me as an Associate Attorney after I graduated and passed the Bar. We mainly represented Physicians and Insurance companies and I thought ‘This is great. I don’t have to waste all my years of Pre-Med because I can use my science background here.’ I also got married while I was still in Law School, so it seemed like everything was fitting together…but for some reason, I felt like something was missing. I wasn’t connecting with the clients the way I wanted to. I wanted to help people and improve their lives, but I was primarily working with insurance companies and taking depositions of patients with cancer saying they were misdiagnosed and it was just too much for me. I couldn’t take it.”

HW: “What did you do?”

ATT. SALOMON: “Well, at that time my marriage was falling apart. I was pregnant and already had one son, and I was hopping around to different Law Firms trying to find a branch of Law that was a good fit for me, because I really needed to settle somewhere, especially going through a divorce.”

HW: “I can’t believe you held it all together.”

ATT. SALOMON: “And I decided to represent myself.”

HW: “Really?”

ATT. SALOMON: “Well, my husband at the time didn’t have a Lawyer, and I thought, well, I’m an Attorney, I should be able to handle this on my own. So, I started doing research for my divorce, and, this might sound crazy, but even though my life was so chaotic, I found myself really enjoying the various aspects of Family Law. I mean, it was so interesting. People had always said Family Law was boring and all you did was check boxes and fill out forms, but it wasn’t like that at all. There were so many nuances to it – Property Law would come into play, and Retirement and Pensions. So many other areas of law. Employment Law, because you had wages to take into consideration, and taxes – it was mind-boggling.”

HW: “So, if you hadn’t gone through your own divorce, you would never have found your true calling.”

ATT. SALOMON: “That’s right. And I can relate with my clients on every level because I’d gone through almost every issue imaginable in that marriage, so I have this amazing connection with my clients. When they’re calling me 10 times a day, and text messaging me on the weekends, calling me on the weekends for the smallest thing, I understand it… I’ve worked at Firms where Attorneys won’t take calls from clients; clients will call all day and they’ll say ‘I’m not here.’ I have a policy in my office: The Sun Never Sets On My Client’s Calls. My clients have my cell phone number and I’m completely accessible to them, because I know what they’re feeling, and I get it… This is what I was missing at those other Law Firms, being able to really help people. Especially my victims of domestic violence – they’re my heart, because I’ve been through that experience myself.”

HW: “Really?”

ATT. SALOMON: “Well, my husband at the time didn’t have a Lawyer, and I thought, well, I’m an Attorney, I should be able to handle this on my own. So, I started doing research for my divorce, and, this might sound crazy, but even though my life was so chaotic, I found myself really enjoying the various aspects of Family Law. I mean, it was so interesting. People had always said Family Law was boring and all you did was check boxes and fill out forms, but it wasn’t like that at all. There were so many nuances to it – Property Law would come into play, and Retirement and Pensions. So many other areas of law. Employment Law, because you had wages to take into consideration, and taxes – it was mind-boggling.”

HW: “So, if you hadn’t gone through your own divorce, you would never have found your true calling.”

ATT. SALOMON: “That’s right. And I can relate with my clients on every level because I’d gone through almost every issue imaginable in that marriage, so I have this amazing connection with my clients. When they’re calling me 10 times a day, and text messaging me on the weekends, calling me on the weekends for the smallest thing, I understand it… I’ve worked at Firms where Attorneys won’t take calls from clients; clients will call all day and they’ll say ‘I’m not here.’ I have a policy in my office: The Sun Never Sets On My Client’s Calls. My clients have my cell phone number and I’m completely accessible to them, because I know what they’re feeling, and I get it… This is what I was missing at those other Law Firms, being able to really help people. Especially my victims of domestic violence – they’re my heart, because I’ve been through that experience myself.”

HW: “You were physically abused in your marriage?”

ATT. SALOMON: “Yes, I was. And so I can recognize the symptoms. Many times women will come in here who don’t even realize they’re in an abusive relationship, because the psychological abuse allows for the physical abuse. I’ve given books to my clients to try and make them aware of the situation they’re in – one of my favorite books to give is Dr. Robin Smith’s ‘The Truth About Great Marriages,’ which I read all the time. I always strive to leave my clients in a better position than when they came to me, and I’m not just talking about financially, I’m talking about emotionally.”

HW: “What’s the biggest lesson you want your clients to understand when going through a divorce?”

ATT. SALOMON: “That they can learn from this experience. A lot of my clients feel they’ll be alone for the rest of their lives, and I tell them reflect back on your relationship; look at the warning signs that were there telling you something wasn’t quite right with your marriage, and become skilled at recognizing these characteristics in others so you won’t make the same mistakes again… Learn from the process.”

HW: “What should our readers look for when choosing a Family Law Attorney?”

ATT. SALOMON: “You want an Attorney who will listen to your story. I’ve had men and women come into my office and take as long as two hours to tell me everything, and half of what they say has nothing to do with “facts” that will help me in court, they just need to talk to someone who will listen, and help them… You also want an Attorney who not only has your best interest at heart, but the best interest of your children, and that means having a Lawyer who won’t always fight with opposing Council, but will try to find resolutions to keep the continuity of your child’s life as intact as possible.”

HW: “Alright, any closing statements?”

ATT. SALOMON: “Well, I’m remarried. We have three wonderful boys, and I’m living proof that you can find love and have a life after divorce…”

(877)326-5290   FAMILY LAW LOS ANGELES