The Manely Firm, P.C. - June 2022

The Manely Firm, P.C. - June 2022

All family law. All around Georgia. All around the world.

J une 2022

A P assion and a C alling

HOW I FOUND FAMILY LAW

I wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I can remember, but when I was growing up, everyone else seemed to think I would become a pediatrician. Even as a kid myself, I was drawn to helping children. I don’t think I knew family law existed at the time, but considering those two early interests, it makes perfect sense that this is where I’ve ended up. It has been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to connect with you via this newsletter, so it seems fitting to reintroduce myself. Though I had an idea of what I wanted to do from a young age — and I’ve now been a lawyer for 12 years — my path wasn’t the one you’d expect. After my undergraduate education, I didn’t jump straight into law school. An attorney who was also a family friend advised me to take a break and do something else for a while. He told me that before making that kind of commitment, I should make sure it was what I really wanted to do. It was honestly some of the best advice I’d ever received, and for six years, I wound up managing Guitar Center stores in the metro-Atlanta area. That was enough time to convince me that the law was my true calling. Once I’d had my fill of the retail world, I applied to law school and fulfilled my original dream of becoming an attorney. But I didn’t find family law right away. I started at a general practice in Gainesville. We focused on criminal defense and personal injury, but we did a little bit of everything, including landlord-tenant law, construction law, and family law. In 2013, I moved to Savannah and hung up my own shingle for a few months before I had the opportunity to join The Manely Firm. Once I started doing family law regularly, it felt like everything clicked. This is what I’m meant to do. It’s very fulfilling to help families navigate their legal issues in a way that’s as beneficial as possible for their children. Some of the most rewarding cases I work on involve returning children to their home countries. These cases are a lot of work, and they’re stressful — it’s terrifying when a parent has moved their children out of the country and left the other parent behind. So, there’s nothing quite like reuniting the family and seeing a positive outcome. A big part of our culture at the Firm is remaining family-focused in our own lives. We have the freedom to balance two incredible obligations: the one we have to our clients as attorneys and the one we have to our families as parents, spouses, and children. That’s important because my family means everything to me.

I met my wife in law school. She spent a long time as a prosecutor, but now she does criminal defense. We have three children together, two boys ages 6 and 4 and a 15-month-old daughter. I love being a father, and it has been amazing to watch the kids grow into little people with distinct personalities. We’re kept plenty busy with after-school sports for the older two, but we also spend as much time as possible at the beach. We’re fortunate enough that it’s right down the road from us, and we enjoy going down to the neighborhood dock and fishing for blue crab. We also have a great backyard, and spending a Saturday afternoon grilling and playing with the kids is like a little slice of heaven. Many people have preconceived notions about how divorce or custody cases look. They might have heard of experiences from family members, friends, and colleagues. But the well-meaning people giving them advice aren’t always describing the healthiest way forward. We could feed into the antagonism — lots of lawyers do — but we try to approach every case possible in a way that will help the people involved maintain their co-parenting relationship. Just because a marriage didn’t work out doesn’t mean two people can’t successfully parent together. It may not be the path they imagined, but a happy life isn’t always a linear process. I’m living proof.

–David Purvis

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Call for a Consultation: ( 866) 245-5685

B reak a L eg ! 3 MUSICALS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SHOULD WATCH

‘High School Musical’ (2006–2008) Who said you couldn’t be a jock who also loves to perform in musicals? This Disney Channel trilogy follows star basketball player Troy Bolton as he tries to balance his love for basketball and his newfound love for the theater. The movies also have other notable characters going through their own struggles: social pressure to fit in with their usual cliques, and stress about where to go to college and what they will do with the rest of their lives. Everyone in your family can enjoy and relate to these films. You and your loved ones are going to have a blast singing along to these classics for World Music Day.

Music can connect people from all walks of life. It’s something we can relate to and gives us all a sense of belonging. Since June 21 is World Music Day, now is the best time to celebrate music by watching musicals! You and your family can sing along all night long to these fan favorites. Here are some musicals to get you started. ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965) This is based on a true story about the Von Trapp Family singers, a famous group in 1932. Set in Austria in the 1930s, it follows a widowed Navy captain, Georg Von Trapp, who writes to the convent and requests a governess to look after his seven children. A young postulant, Maria, is sent, and during her time there, she opens the family to a newfound love for music. Maria and Georg also find themselves falling in love, but personal decisions and world events may come between them. ‘Grease’ (1978) This classic story takes place in the 1950s and follows Sandy Olsson during her senior year at Rydell High. She meets greaser Danny Zuko over the summer, and he happens to be another Rydell student. Sandy is a good schoolgirl, while Danny is one of the “bad boys.” Typically, these two groups aren’t supposed to hang out, but their love leaves them inseparable. This musical shows the different social pressures within these high school cliques and how they cope with their stress and feelings — through songs! (Parental guidance recommended for children under 15 due to mature themes.)

M eet K ourtney B ernard -R ance A LIFE DEDICATED TO FAMILIES

Even before she joined our Firm, Kourtney was determined to help families in need. When she was younger, her mother worked as an early childhood education teacher at the local YMCA, and Kourtney would often go to work with her. Eventually, she got her first job there as a summer counselor, and the experience gave her a deep desire to help people. Kourtney said, “I felt like I could do this, and do it well. Even working with children at the YMCA as a child … talking with them, sitting with them, and learning that some of them had a really rough go at an early age — I had a bleeding heart for them.” Over time, that desire to help changed from helping children to helping entire families. At first, this led her to pursue an education in child psychology at Montclair State University, and she switched her major to family and child studies (with an emphasis on family services). However, things changed when she took an internship at a child advocacy organization: Advocates for Children of New Jersey. “I worked with a bunch of attorneys there, and it put me on this idea that maybe I actually wanted to practice law. That internship definitely shaped my viewpoint, and I knew this is where I wanted to go.”

In pursuing her passion in family law, Kourtney enjoys that she finds her work completely fulfilling. “I’ve been here almost three years, and it means so much when clients come back to tell me how grateful they are that I helped them. I am able to provide a level of service and help my clients in a way that they couldn’t help themselves. The fact that I can see that return on a weekly and daily basis is definitely rewarding.” As Kourtney continues to work hard this year, she’s also had a tremendous amount to celebrate. In her personal life, while happily celebrating her own second anniversary, she finally got to enjoy her wedding, as the event was postponed from April 2020 due to COVID-19. Kourtney and her husband, Matt, are also the proud new fur parents to their sweet new puppy, Izzy. In her professional life, Kourtney was recognized as a 2022 Super Lawyers Rising Star. Further, Kourtney has been promoted to lead the Firm’s Forsyth office as the Lead Associate Attorney. Under her leadership, the Forsyth Office was voted Best of Forsyth Divorce Attorneys and Estate Planning Attorneys by Forsyth County News!

Kourtney Bernard-Rance has much to celebrate over the last few years she has been with The Manely Firm! In that time, we’ve seen some challenges come our way, especially with the coronavirus pandemic, but Kourtney never wavered. She took each day as it came and worked toward helping our clients and their families.

Congratulations, Kourtney! We can’t wait to see what’s to come!

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www.allfamilylaw.com

Providing a Superior Digital Experience

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —D ale C arnegie

OUR MODEL FOR CONCIERGE-LEVEL SERVICE

First impressions matter. They’re why we wear our best clothes to job interviews, double-check our hair before a date, and strive to be extra-friendly during the year’s first parent-teacher conference. The world of law is no different. What people think of us in only a few moments can determine whether they retain our services or find another firm. And in today’s world, first impressions are often digital. The fact that most people find us online before they consider calling us on the phone is one of the reasons we strive to provide a superior digital experience to all of our clients. We work hard to have a crisp, clean website that’s easy to navigate and attractive to the eye.

1. OFFER UNEXPECTED PERKS OR AMENITIES.

2. PERFORM RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.

3. PROVIDE A SUPERIOR DIGITAL EXPERIENCE.

4. PROVIDE AN ENHANCED IN-OFFICE EXPERIENCE.

5. REMOVE CUSTOMER PAIN.

6. SERVE AS A TRUSTED ADVISOR.

G rilled C orn and R icotta D ip

Functionality is just as crucial; we want clients to find straightforward ways to contact us, learn about who we are, and educate themselves on the matters important to their case.

Inspired by Saveur.com

AllFamilyLaw.com contains a wealth of information. Prospective and current clients can learn about our attorneys, review our testimonials and past case results, and read up on hot-button topics on our blog. We also provide a video center where our attorneys share expertise and break down complex issues in an easy-to-digest format. But a superior digital experience is about more than just having a compelling website. It’s also about how we communicate day in and day out. Virtual meetings exploded in popularity at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Where many others scrambled, The Manely Firm had an advantage. We’ve always handled international cases where meeting in person is impossible, so pivoting to video was not a problem. About a third of our initial conversations with clients happen virtually, and most choose to communicate by video or phone once they retain our services. It’s one of the aspects of our enhanced digital experience that makes us most proud because it allows us to reduce the burden on our clients. We may have five convenient offices, but we’ve found that nothing is more convenient for many people than their computer. The world is constantly changing, but we’re doing everything we can to keep up. Whether chatting virtually, providing informative tidbits online, or advising our clients on social media best practices during their cases, we’re ready to take on all the problems and opportunities technology throws our way. It’s all part of our promise to provide concierge-level service.

I ngredients

• • • • •

6 ears of corn

•

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated 2 tbsp unsalted butter, diced Chives and scallions, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

•

1 1/2 cups ricotta

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• •

2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped

D irections 1.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. In a large grill pan, cook the corn until charred on all sides. Let cool, then cut the kernels from the cob. 3. In a food processor or blender, purée two-thirds of the kernels with the cream, ricotta, flour, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in remaining whole kernels. 4. Pour into an 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, and dot with butter. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours, until bubbly. 5. Garnish with chives and scallions before serving.

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Call for a Consultation: ( 866) 245-5685

211 Roswell St. NE Marietta, GA 30060 (866) 687-8561 www.allfamilylaw.com

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David’s Winding Path to Family Law

Musicals for the Entire Family Meet Kourtney Bernard-Rance

How We Provide a Superior Digital Experience Grilled Corn and Ricotta Dip

The Past and Future of Women in Space

C elebrating N early 60 Y ears of W omen in S pace

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 59 years since the first woman traveled in space. Back in June 1963, Valentina Tereshkova made history when she became the first woman to leave Earth’s atmosphere. She was selected from more than 400 applicants to ride on the Soviet’s Vostok 6 mission. Two years prior to Tereshkova’s launch, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to fly in space. This historic moment spiked Tereshkova’s interest in space travel, and she was chosen as one of four women who received 18 months of training for the mission. She was selected to pilot the flight even though she had no previous piloting experience. Instead, she possessed extensive parachuting experience. She would go on to spend 70 hours in space as she orbited Earth 48 times. It would take another 20 years for the first American woman to fly in space. Sally Ride made her first journey into space on June 18, 1983, aboard the Challenger STS-7 after answering a newspaper ad placed by NASA six years earlier.

She served as the flight engineer and was in charge of operating the shuttle’s mechanical arm as well as conducting any necessary experiments. Ride would go on another space flight in October 1984 in which she spent eight days conducting scientific observations of our planet. Ride and Tereshkova became role models for many young women looking to break into the world of space travel. Since 1963, 65 women have spent time outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Women have been involved in the field of space travel since the early days of NASA. The movie “Hidden Figures” brought to light the story of female African American mathematicians who played a huge role in getting John Glenn into orbit and turned the tide of the space race. So what’s next for women in space? There are great things on the horizon. NASA has plans to amplify its space exploration efforts, and one of its goals is to land the first woman on the moon. The agency plans to do this by 2024, so we won’t have to wait too long to see another historic first for women in space.

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