Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of Tuscaloosa and Northport!
Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Halley Harris: Empowering Clients Through Expert Family Law Counsel
Ever wondered what it takes to balance a full-time job, night school, and a dream of becoming a successful attorney? On this episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast, you'll meet Halley Harris Attorney-at-Law and partner at Harris Law, a dedicated family law and personal injury lawyer who shares her incredible journey from paralegal to founding her own practice. Inspired by her attorney father, Halley navigated the challenges of night school and passed the bar to become a beacon of support and expertise for her clients. Join us as Halley recounts her path to success and the invaluable lessons she learned along the way.
Halley’s wisdom doesn’t stop at her personal story. She offers pragmatic advice for those grappling with divorce, emphasizing financial preparedness and the well-being of children. From practical co-parenting tips to the benefits of using co-parenting apps, Halley provides actionable insights aimed at creating a harmonious environment for kids during tough times. If you're seeking an attorney who combines compassion with competence, Halley Harris is your go-to professional. Tune in to hear her expert advice and find out how to connect with her for your legal needs.
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This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Patricia Blondheim.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, Patricia Blondheim, and today we have good neighbor Hallie Harris. Hallie Harris is an attorney at law and the owner of the law offices of Hallie Harris in Birmingham. Hallie, how are you today?
Speaker 3:I'm doing great. How are?
Speaker 2:you, I'm doing great, thank you. Can you share a little bit about your background and what led you to practice family law?
Speaker 3:Um, so I'm in my 30s and I started in law. I've been in law basically my whole life. My father is an attorney as well, and so I grew up going to court with him. He would let me go to court with him and just see behind the scenes of what that was like, get to know judges and attorneys, and it really. It really interested me and I really looked up to my dad as well. So that was something that I considered growing up to be an attorney and I have little odds and end jobs as in my early 20s.
Speaker 3:And then I worked for a personal injury firm as a paralegal and I really enjoyed that. So I decided while I was working at this firm that I wanted to go to law school and be an attorney, and that's what I did. I worked a regular job from 8 to 5, monday through Friday, five days a week, and then at night I would go to night school what we call night school from 6 to 9 o'clock and I did that three nights a week. And then the last year of school I did that four nights a week. So it was. It was definitely a challenge, but I think if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. I was determined to become an attorney, and so that's what I did. I worked through school and I took the bar. I passed it and then I went out and started working for my dad, and that's where I am right now. Actually, I've made my own law firm, but we practice together a lot as well. So that's where we are right now.
Speaker 2:And you've kept that um that specialty inside of your practice. You're still practicing and specialize in personal injury law as well.
Speaker 3:I do a good bit of personal injury law. I have um a good number, good number of car wreck cases. A lot of attorneys like those kind of cases and I do have the benefit of knowing how to work behind the scenes on those cases. So yes, I do have some cases of that.
Speaker 2:And that's not going to happen for everyone. You know it's going to be a really limited population is going to be involved in a litigated accident. Oh yeah, but there are a lot of people that have to go through divorce, unfortunately. So how can someone best prepare for a divorce both emotionally and legally? Is that a huge question?
Speaker 3:Well, it definitely is a big question. There's a lot of different ways. It really depends on whether or not you have kids, because that can add a lot of issues to your case. So you definitely want to. The first thing you want to think about whether, even if you don't have kids, is the financial aspect of things, because divorce changes a lot of things, as we know.
Speaker 3:Um, it can be something, it's something that that completely changes your life for most people, um, financially, and so you have to think about what are the best financial steps to take to prepare, if, if you can prepare, some people are blindsided and they they don't prepare and so, um, but but we, we help and counsel people through the steps of that um and and guide them through the best way to manage going through a divorce, because it is very it's extremely an emotional situation to deal with. So some people have an easier time with it than others, but we're always here for people while they're going through it. It's hard to say, because every case is different, the best thing that somebody should do to prepare for divorce, but definitely I would say the first thing is to look at finances and um, and then, if you've got kids, you know, just think about what's in the best interest of your kids and and let that guide you on it.
Speaker 2:I love those divorces that end up with a good co-parenting solution, right, Rather than yeah, yeah. So what should, what should parents keep in mind when, when they're planning for, you know, when they want that ideal outcome of co-parenting after a divorce?
Speaker 3:Sure. So there are a lot of things to keep in mind. First thing, first and foremost, is you never want to put your kids in the middle of it. You never want to use your child as leverage. We do see that a lot, unfortunately, and it really just it doesn't benefit anybody and it hurts the child. I would just ask that people think about things from the child's perspective and what they may be going through, and while a lot of people are thinking about themselves during the divorce, because it is extremely emotional, to put their feelings aside and think about the child and what they may be going through and just do things to benefit them.
Speaker 3:It's hard for a lot of people to have a co-parenting relationship, but I will say that that does come for some people, maybe not right away, but after the divorce settles down, the tension goes away somewhat and then people can sort of get into a routine of trying to co -parent.
Speaker 3:It doesn't happen for everybody, but I would say give it a little time is probably the best advice. And there are also co-parenting coordinators is what we call them. There are apps that people use to help them co-parent and it helps them. The apps are utilized a lot nowadays because technology is such a big way of life for people. People use apps to, I guess, they input stuff on a calendar and that way that is going on with their child, that is going on with their child, say, a doctor's appointment or a teacher conference or a recital, whatever the case may be, and that way that keeps both parents in the know of what's going on with their child and that can eliminate a lot of going back and forth, saying I wasn't notified or I didn't have the chance to go to this practice, soccer practice, or because I didn't know what time it was, and it just. It can, um, eliminate a lot of the tension between the parties, the parents, and just make it just about the child.
Speaker 2:What a great way to use technology. I did not know that existed.
Speaker 3:Mm, hmm.
Speaker 2:That's very helpful. You also have some, because we're speaking about children. You also have a specialty inside of your practice in adoption, which must be a great joy for you.
Speaker 3:I do. I love adoptions. They hold a special place in my heart. While we do a lot of divorces throughout the year which, as you know, can be as a unit with the judge and you, just you see a change in a child when they, when they know that they've got a family.
Speaker 2:You go through a lot Hallie in your life. You go through a lot Hallie in your life and you and I had a little discussion before about how you take care of yourself, because everything that you do is so emotional. What do you do for you, for fun?
Speaker 3:So it is extremely emotional what we do on a daily, daily basis. We deal with people's problems, but the way that I personally try to disconnect sometimes from work and enjoy my life is I have two kids and and a husband that I love dearly, and my kids are four and two. So we're in the thick of it, we're enjoying that small kid phase and we just like to do stuff as a family. That's really what I enjoy doing. My husband he hunts and fishes and does a lot of outdoorsy stuff, so I try to go do stuff with him and we'll have a date night. We try to make a date night at least every other week or so, um, and we make sure that we go to church on Sundays and, um, and do do stuff as a family together.
Speaker 2:So just to wrap this up a little bit, what resources or support do you recommend for someone going through a family law matter?
Speaker 3:Well, so I would. The first thing I would do is advise people to reach out. If you're having a family law member, reach out to an attorney. A lot of people hesitate to do that. It seems like and this is what we do on a daily basis. So we know all these little things that people think that are. We deal with these things on a daily basis so we are able to assist them in ways that they may not even know is available to them.
Speaker 3:For family law cases, there is what's called Family Resource Center and that helps a lot of families out and just helping provide services. That helps a lot of family families out and just helping provide services. Uh, they can provide lifts for people to get around to different jobs. They have job resources. Um, and then for divorces, it's it's hard to say because every case is different, but there are resources out there available and I would just suggest to the very first thing you do is call an attorney because they can guide you through this process. It's probably one of the hardest things you'll do in your life and you want somebody who knows what they're doing and who can help you through an extremely emotional process of your life. Hopefully they won't have to do it more than once.
Speaker 2:God willing right, and the creek don't rise, I know. So how can listeners learn more about the law office of Hallie Harris?
Speaker 3:Okay, well, I do have a website. I will say that most of my business comes in through word of mouth, as a lot of attorneys do. It's wwwharrislegalcentercom, and that's the best way to reach me. You can call my office at 205-250-7250 as well, and I like to think that we are a smaller firm, but I think we give much more personal service to you than these bigger firms out there. You would speak directly to an attorney if you call here, as opposed to reaching a receptionist or somebody who doesn't even who's sort of a phone answering service as well. So you get very personal service if you use our office.
Speaker 2:Wonderful. Hallie. Thank you so much for coming by and sharing your specialty with us, and I hope our listeners reach out if they need a really good lawyer who has a personal touch and a personal attachment to your situation, please call the law office of Hallie Harris and I will link to all of this in the description. Hallie, thank you so much for coming by.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me four eight.