Any major life change can be broken down into three primary phases:

  1. Decision: (or deciding event) – Making the best decision(s) you can for yourself and your family based on what you truly want for your future, and theirs.
  2. Transition : Implementing your decision(s). Whatever your decisions are, whether they involve big changes or just little ones, you then need to make them happen. Whether this is through divorce, separation, a change in custody, or something else, we apply our resources and experience to empower you to do that!
  3. Equilibrium :  As you move into life after your decisions are put in place, we’re there to support you in the new world you’re building.

What we do for you

Decision

You are facing a change in your family, either because you feel one is needed, or because the change has been thrust upon you. Whether the major life event is divorce, breakup, relocation, change of job/occupation, change in custody, dissolution of business partnership, etc., the questions in the decision phase often resemble those like:

  • Should I stay or should I go?
  • Is the status quo tolerable, or does something have to change?
  • Do the benefits of changing outweigh the risks?
  • Can I put this decision off until later or do I have to decide now?
  • Can I change my mind?

Sometimes the decision phase is straightforward, and choices are easy to make. This may be particularly true when the decision is made for you – you're served with divorce papers, a loved one dies, your children leave the nest, you get a major illness or injury, you experience a major change in your finances due to market forces (up or down), etc. More often than not, however, when you are the one faced with the decision, that process can be paralyzing. It's the time when you most need to be and feel decisive, but you're like the proverbial deer in headlights.

At New Leaf Family, we work to empower you to make the best decision(s) for yourself and your family. We show you the way out of paralysis and into confident decision making in a way that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Decision Resources

Transition

In the Decision phase you are largely establishing what you want, and what you don't want.  Now, in the Transitions phase, you are moving from where you are toward what you do want. This is where you make change happen … with your New Leaf Family team to empower you.

In the Transition phase, you recognize that the past is in the past, and start putting the pieces together for your family’s present and future. This allows you to build toward Equilibrium.

Unlike most law firms that focus on the legal process, New Leaf Family puts you first. We make sure that the Decision process has been thorough and complete. We then start with that desired end firmly in mind, and reverse engineer a path toward it. The greatest lawyers in the world will not get you a good result if they don’t put that first. We do.

Sometimes that will mean filing papers in court and serving the other side, and engaging in the “system.” But that is neither where it should begin … nor end. Many have found that when they start with lawyers in court as the first measure, or worse still, go into court on their own without a well-thought-out plan, they experience more conflict, more loss, and often more legal fees before it is all said and done. Few feel like they “won.”

And yes, we’re a law firm!  But we know that our success comes from your success. We understand that this whole “change” thing might not be your idea … but once it is upon you, you still have choices that you get to make, and some are better than others. When we help you implement your choices, achieve your goals, and move forward into a future that you desire, we help improve your life. When we do that, we know that you will introduce us to more potential clients that we can help.

The Transition phase is all about building what's next - the legal/judicial part of it just a component. In order to be successful, New Leaf Family helps you through the components of this Transition phase:

  • Letting go of the hurtful parts of the past
  • Celebrating what you learned from the past
  • Creating a Vision (a Polaris) of what comes next
  • Reverse engineering the steps to get there
  • Establishing networks for support and accountability
  • Taking the steps necessary to keep moving toward your Vision
  • Pivoting and adjusting as necessary, without regret
  • Celebrating your progress along the way

Yes, we handle the legal stuff. To be truly successful, we also work with you to get you through to where you decided you want to go.

Transition Resources

Equilibrium

Once the Transition(s) have been mostly resolved, you will find things are starting to settle down in many ways. We call this the beginning of Equilibrium. This is when you must remember to remain vigilant!

It's easy to coast, but if you do, a lot of your hard work during the Transition phase may be lost. Many find themselves facing another Decision phase, much sooner than they expected. 

The Equilibrium phase is your gift. This is in a sense like that magical “rainy day” in which you can finally get that closet organized. Equilibrium is when things are relatively even keel, so you're not in a state of active conflict. In that place, you have the opportunity to work on yourself. This is not a time where change or growth stop. That never happens. Change is one constant for all of us. The difference in achieving a practice of Equilibrium is that you are the agent (or at least an agent) of that change. You are not living your life by the whims of fate, but directing your life toward what you decide.

This can and should involve several phases, and bears repeating on a regular basis.  The more you grow, the more you will know about yourself, and what you want in your life.  

Meanwhile, life Decisions or conflicts may crop up and bring you out of Equilibrium again…. that's ok, too. You know how to handle them better now. And then when you get back to the Equilibrium phase, you may realize that you learned something new about yourself from the more recent conflict that causes you to not just pick up where you left off, but instead to adjust or pivot to a place you never imagined. 

Getting started and maintaining an Equilibrium practice can be challenging. Fortunately, New Leaf Family holds small, intimate Equilibrium Workshops for you. We recommend that you establish a practice of reviewing and renewing your Vision and your plan to bring it to life twice per year. If you'd like to work with us on your Equilibrium practice, in a small group setting, we'd love to have you.

Start the journey from where you are to where you want to be. Contact us to see if we’re a match for where you want to go. 

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