Alison Baxter Herlihy P.C. Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Alison Baxter Herlihy P.C. Celebrates 10th Anniversary

by | Feb 26, 2021 | Divorce, Family Law

February 28, 2021 marks the 10th Anniversary of Alison Baxter Herlihy P.C.  These past 10 years have flown by!  We have grown so much over the years.  Back in 2011, Alison rented a one room office at 401 Church Street, but now we have our own building at 1751 Dauphin Street and are a three-person office.  Heather Dennis is our legal assistant/office manager – Heather keeps everything running here efficiently and is our first line of excellent customer service for our clients.  Walter Gewin joined the firm as an Associate Attorney in September 2020 and is already an invaluable team member who helps us serve even more Family Law clients.

I want to personally express how grateful I am to my family, friends and colleagues for their support over the years and to all of my clients for trusting to me to handle some of the most important and sensitive legal matters there are – their families and their children.  Family Law gives you a unique opportunity and responsibility to help people resolve complex changes in their personal lives, and I try to appreciate that every day.  Thank you from all of us at Alison Baxter Herlihy, P.C!  We hope the next 10 years bring continued growth and opportunities to impact our community and serve our clients.

New 5 Star Client Review on Google

by | Feb 19, 2021 | Division of Assets, Divorce, Family Law

We just received this new 5 star client review on Google:

I went through a long and difficult contested divorce with no minor children. Alison and her team were so good at advising me throughout the process. They were patient and understanding with any issue I had. If I had questions or concerns, Alison was able to answer and put me at ease. She has a gift for being the right balance of firm and compassionate. In preparing for trial, she was knowledgeable, skilled and thorough. I would recommend her and her team to anyone for any area of family law.

Managing Stress Through Yoga: An Online Course Created by Alison Baxter Herlihy

Managing Stress Through Yoga: An Online Course Created by Alison Baxter Herlihy

by | Jan 11, 2021 | Uncategorized

Alison is a family lawyer by day, but one of her biggest passions is practicing and teaching yoga! She has been practicing yoga for over 20 years, teaching for 5 years, and just recently became a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, which is the highest level of training available for a yoga instructor.

Stress is an epidemic in the United States and lawyers have some of the highest rates of stress of any profession. With family law, the stakes are high because you are fighting for your client’s livelihoods and the well-being of their children. Experiencing a divorce or family law issue yourself can be one of the most stressful life changes there is. Yoga practice, both on an off your yoga mat, has been proven time and again to be effective in managing and coping with stress.

Responding to this need and a desire to help others is what motivated Alison to create her online course, Managing Stress through Yoga. It is a four-week course that combines readings, practices of journaling, mindfulness and meditation, and four 60-minute yoga practices you can do in the privacy of your own home.

For more information and to enroll in Alison’s online course, Managing Stress Through Yoga, click here:

 

 

Alison Baxter Herlihy to Chair Lawyer Wellness Program for the Mobile Bar Association

Alison Baxter Herlihy to Chair Lawyer Wellness Program for the Mobile Bar Association

by | Jan 4, 2021 | Uncategorized

Alison Baxter Herlihy is co-chairing the new Lawyer Wellness Committee for the Mobile Bar Association. Here is the article from the Mobile Bar January newsletter:

Lawyer Wellness is a brand new committee that is the brain-child of MBA Members Alison Herlihy and Krissy McCulloch. We are probably all familiar with the alarming statistics on rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other problems among our profession, and we can probably all agree that 2020 has been a particularly tough year on all of us. Our routines have been disrupted, we have been isolated from our normal supports, and it seems harder than ever to maintain healthy habits. We wanted to find new ways for MBA members to support themselves and each other during this “new normal.” The work we do as lawyers is so important for our community, but you cannot be your best if you are not taking care of yourself.

For Lawyer Wellness, we plane to feature different challenges and activities each month that have a focus on different aspects of wellness, from exercise and healthy eating, to meditation and mindfulness. Our first challenge of 2021 is Dry January. Dry January means you take a break from alcohol consumption for the month of January as a reset for your health. You can read more about Dry January here: https://www.health.com/nutrition/dry-january-benefits

To sign up, just click on the link in your email from Ann Sirmon. We will have regular email check-ins throughout the month. All you have to do to participate is keep a log of your “alcohol free” days and you will be entered into a drawing for a prize at the end of the month. Stay well!

 

Most Common Reasons for Divorce

Most Common Reasons for Divorce

by | Dec 14, 2020 | Divorce

After 15 years of practicing divorce and family law, I sometimes think I have heard it all, but people continue to surprise me.  Although every case is different, we hear a lot of common themes over and over.  The most common reasons I see, ranked in order, for people getting divorced are as follows:

1. Lack of Communication or Common Interests.  This may not be the tabloid fodder you would imagine, but the number one reason I see for people getting divorced is a simple lack of communication or common interests.  I hear clients over and over say things like “we are like roommates;” “we never talk;” and “we have nothing in common.”  This may be the case from the beginning and becomes more pronounced as the excitement of a new relationship wears off.  Others may simply grow apart over time.  We also see many cases where people neglect their marital relationship and devote all of their focus to co-parenting their children, only to realize there isn’t much of a marriage left once your children grow up and leave the nest.

2. Money.  This is a big one!  “Financial infidelity,” which I would describe as lying or secrecy about money and spending is one of the top causes of divorce.  If one spouse is a saver and one is a spender, that is hard to reconcile.  If you get married, only to learn that your spouse has tens of thousands of dollars in debt that they never told you about, that is a pretty big betrayal.  Betrayal about money often bleeds over into other areas as well.  Marriage is a partnership, and honesty and full disclosure about your finances is key.

3. All other “fault” reasons, to include adultery, substance abuse or other addiction, and domestic violence.  

Those of us who have not had personal experience with divorce tend to believe that the vast majority of divorces fall into the “fault” category, where one spouse has done something terrible and the other spouse has no choice but to get divorced, but this simply is not the case.  Most people getting divorced are normal people just like you, believe it or not!  Even if your situation falls into one of these extreme scenarios, you can come out the other side a happier, and stronger person.  I always tell my clients, some people say life is too short, but I say life is too long to live in a miserable marriage.  You have options, and you have the power to make changes in your life.