The Manely Firm, P.C. - February 2022

The Manely Firm, P.C. - February 2022

Al l fami ly law. Al l around Georgia. Al l around the wor ld.

F ebruary 2022

RESILIENCY, COMPASSION AND HUMANITY

HOW WE’RE ENHANCING THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Every year, our office holds a firm launch. It’s a bit like setting New Year’s resolutions for the business. This year, we’re focusing on enhancing our client and employee experiences in the receipt and delivery of our family law services.

Also at our firm launch, we engaged in Compassion Integrity Training, offered through The Center for Compassion, Integrity and Secular Ethics at Life University. This training helped us be more aware of our own emotions. It taught us to use meditative practices to get our mindset back into what they call the resiliency zone. Many people get stuck outside the resiliency zone and don’t know how

We started our training with a speech by Lucy Hone about resiliency. Her key point is that adversity doesn’t discriminate, and we will all face it at one point or another. Hone

to begin problem-solving. This training helped us recognize and manage our and our clients’ emotions for a healthier, more productive outcome.

argues that we can’t avoid the pain, but we can control our reaction to it. One of her pillars of resiliency is to ask yourself whether what you’re doing is hurting or helping. This question will help you determine how to proceed. I’ve long worked to cultivate resiliency, a seed first planted during my law school graduation. Kasim Reed, the then-mayor of Atlanta, gave the commencement speech. He told us the top predictor of our success as attorneys would be our resilience.

At The Manely Firm, our level of service goes beyond completing a divorce or modifying child support. Those are our clients’ most basic needs and wants, but our goal is to help them look toward their hopes, dreams, and aspirations — and deliver services that help them along that path. (For more on this, see Page 3!)

To succeed at this goal, our staff must be emotionally intelligent. That means staying calm under pressure and filtering one’s own anxiety to put the client first. To cultivate emotional intelligence, one first has to develop resiliency. When we meet our clients, they’re often in the most challenging situation of their lives. It’s our job to help them bounce back from their family conflict and find a way forward.

He used a football analogy. In life and law, you will take hits. People will be gunning for you — like football, the law is inherently adversarial. What matters isn’t how many times we get hit; our yards after contact matter more. It’s not only about avoiding adversity, but also about being able to respond to it with determination.

I’m very proud that the Firm is willing to get down into the weeds and work to provide our clients with more than just legal support. Though we’ve been on this path for many years, we’re focused on taking our services to a whole new level in 2022. Our clients are more than just a case or a set of legal strategies. Our employees are more than just human capital to work cases or implement legal strategies. Rather, both are valued souls with needs, wants, hopes, dreams and aspiration. Compassionate service requires treating them that way and never forgetting our common humanity. –Shelia Manely

I find this to be particularly true in family law. Every family we serve has taken a hit. Our goal is to help them be as resilient as possible and succeed in their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Our success comes not in avoiding the hits but in coming back from whatever life throws our way. Resilience is also key to our employees’ success in the delivery of family law services. We make it a point to hire people who see family law as their calling. People who care deeply provide much more compassionate service to our clients, but they also carry a lot of our clients’ emotional burdens. We’re working on helping everyone in the office to bounce back from case to case and service to service. We need to both do the best for our clients and go home to our families and be our best selves.

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M ore T han a P inch of S alt

3 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR SODIUM INTAKE

Read food labels. Processed foods tend to contain a lot of sodium, so it’s best to shop for fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. In particular, avoid premade sauces whenever possible. If you need to buy prepared meals, always read the label and look for items with less than 600 mg of sodium— the highest amount a meal can contain and still be labeled “healthy” by the FDA. Check serving sizes as well; 400 mg of sodium in one meal sounds good until you realize there are 2–3 servings in the package. Try other flavors. We have easy access to more types of salt than ever, but unfortunately, sea salt, Himalayan salt, and kosher salt don’t contain any less sodium than the table variety. Luckily, there are plenty of other seasonings available to liven up your food. Experiment with new spices; the bolder the flavor, the less you’ll notice the reduced salt. Garlic is a popular choice, but check the nutrition information — salt is included in many spice blends. Keep the shaker out of sight. If you want to reduce the amount of salt you use, try putting it away. Keeping salt on the table increases the temptation to sprinkle a little bit more on your meal. You can still get up and get the salt out of the cupboard if it’s really needed, but you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your actions and make a more conscious decision. It will also help kids, who may instinctively reach for the salt or copy their parents. Cutting salt takes time, but the preference for salt is an acquired taste, and it can be unlearned. It may take several weeks or even a couple months to get used to the flavor of reduced salt, but those who successfully do often find salty foods they used to eat unpalatable. Once the extra sodium is gone from your diet, you probably won’t miss it — and your body will be a lot healthier for it.

The average American adult eats 1,000 milligrams (mg) more than the recommended amount of sodium each day. Salt enhances flavor, is easy to add to food, and tastes pretty delicious. Unfortunately, too much of it is unhealthy and can cause high blood pressure or kidney damage. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your sodium intake without sacrificing flavor.

A H elping H and MEET RAMSHA KALEEM!

Ramsha Kaleem admits she never saw herself working at a law firm. But she left her assistant manager job at a marketing company to give it a try. One year later, it’s safe to say the risk paid off. She couldn’t be happier to have made the switch. When a new client calls The Manely Firm, Ramsha may be one of the first people they encounter. As a Client Care Coordinator, she gathers information about new client cases and then refers them to one of the attorneys on staff. Her work doesn’t end there. She helps her clients throughout the entire legal process, reviewing contracts, checking in on whether all of their needs are being met, or just providing a sympathetic ear. Of all the things she loves about her job, Ramsha most appreciates being able to help people. “Helping them go through a difficult phase in their lives and then seeing them at the end when they reach their goal — that’s the best part of my job,” she explains. “We help people construct a better future.”

“I also love how international the Firm is,” she adds. The Manely Firm serves many clients who speak English as a second language, so Ramsha’s fluency in Hindi and Arabic comes in handy. “I help people communicate better with the Firm,” she says. Ramsha was born in Pakistan and grew up in Saudi Arabia. She moved to the U.S. for college and has stayed here ever since. “When I’m not working, I have a very big family, so I like spending time with them,” she says. “We love trying new cuisines and foods, and we love traveling.” She also enjoys playing sports (but not watching them, she emphasizes) and spending time with her Persian cat, Pixie. For Ramsha, The Manely Firm is a home away from home. “When I started here, people were really helpful and friendly,” she says. “It’s easy to get assistance with anything if you’re struggling. People will go overboard to help you achieve your goals.” That’s the same way Ramsha and the rest of the Firm treat our clients every day.

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Serving as a Trusted Advisor OUR MODEL FOR CONCIERGE-LEVEL SERVICE

“L ive your beliefs and you can turn the world around .” — H enry D avid T horeau

People come to The Manely Firm because they need our assistance resolving a family legal dispute. But we want to accomplish more than just the best possible outcome in any given case. Our goal is to provide a client experience that is compassionate, proactive, and responsive. In other words, we want to provide concierge-level service. A concierge’s role in any hotel is to make every guest feel special by being welcoming, anticipating their needs, and making recommendations. To do the same thing at our firm, we’ve created six pillars of service. One of them is serving as a trusted advisor.

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

When we first meet our clients, they often need more help than a family lawyer alone can provide. They are experiencing an upheaval in their lives, and sometimes, their entire world has changed. In securing a fair division of assets and custody plan, The Manely Firm has our clients covered. But we’re not financial advisors, contractors, or psychologists. So, we partner with people who are. Part of our concierge-level service is identifying those who can help our clients with other aspects of their life change. We receive recommendations from our clients and keep them available for future needs. The next time a client needs help, we have a name to recommend. When a client needs to relocate because of divorce, we probably know real estate agents and moving companies to recommend. If child care plans are in tatters, we know of other options. Many of our clients seek therapy during a divorce to process their emotions and set goals for the future. We have worked with mental health professionals for over 30 years, and we can give any client in need a good starting point. We also encourage clients to report back to us if they experience difficulty or dissatisfaction. We strive to refer to the best, want to stand proudly behind each referral we make, and not give our clients another headache. We are building a list of trusted providers to help even more people with whatever life throws at them. It’s all part of our goal of serving more than just our clients’ basic needs and wants but also setting them up for a successful lifelong journey.

C hocolate P ecan F ondue

Inspired by TasteOfHome.com

T his V alentine ’ s D ay , forget the entree ! S urprise your honey with a delicious chocolate treat !

I ngredients

• • •

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

• • • •

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp honey

Fresh fruit of your choice

9 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Shortbread cookies Large marshmallows

•

D irections 1. In a sturdy saucepan over low heat, combine cream and honey. Stir until mixed thoroughly and heat until warm. 2. Add in chocolate, stirring until melted. 3. Stir in pecans and vanilla. 4. Transfer to a fondue pot or a slow cooker to keep warm. 5. Serve with fruit, cookies, and marshmallows of your choice.

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Cal l for a Consul tat ion: ( 866) 245-5685

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

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

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Why Compassion Requires Resilience

Reduce Your Sodium Intake With These 3 Tips Meet Client Care Coordinator Ramsha Kaleem

How We Serve as a Trusted Advisor Chocolate Pecan Fondue

Celebrate Chinese New Year

C elebrate C hinese N ew Y ear !

HONOR THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

Happy Chinese New Year! Often referred to as Lunar New Year, due to the holiday’s connection to the moon cycle, Chinese New Year is a 16-day holiday steeped in tradition. Don’t let it pass without marking the momentous occasion that’s celebrated across the globe.

To commemorate the Year of the Tiger, try these fun and easy activities.

Read about legends.

After centuries of celebrations, there are bound to be a few legends worth learning about! Why not make it into a bedtime story or an anecdote for your next family gathering? For example, you could “wow” your children with the story of Nian, a monster who would attack at the start of every new year but was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. To ward off Nian each year, people would dress in red and shoot fireworks, celebrating a new year and keeping Nian safely at bay. Pair this story with a red meal to really sell the impact!

Enjoy a tasty meal.

This has to be the best option, right? Create a feast to ring in the new year. Everyone will love the classics, like dumplings, noodles, or spring rolls, but don’t be afraid to try something new. Fish and chicken are common on Chinese New Year festivities, and many families will cook these items whole. Doing so is considered a strong sign for the family, and fish is meant to symbolize wealth, while chicken represents togetherness. In addition to this, nian gao is a sweet rice dish that can be the perfect way to end your meal.

Learn calligraphy.

This is the perfect activity for little crafters! Calligraphy is a major component of Chinese New Year decor. Those who celebrate often hang hand-painted, square red banners that feature certain words intended to induce good luck in the new year. Learn the art of calligraphy as you master Chinese symbols to create your own piece of good luck in the Year of the Tiger!

If this is your first Chinese New Year celebration, ChineseNewYear.net has all the basics covered for you.

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