Gillis, Austin

"Perfect" Attorney

As a prospective client, you may be searching for the "perfect" attorney to assist you with your family law matter. Receiving advice from friends or viewing attorney websites may give you some basis for choosing an attorney. However, one vital element is often missing: a telephone call or initial consultation with a prospective attorney. This personal contact is designed to help you decide if you "click" with the attorney and feel comfortable trusting the attorney. This is especially important because most family law matters involve life-changing events.

Marathon

Litigating a family law matter is a lot like training for and running a marathon. You may ask: Why is a marathon an appropriate parallel to resolving a family law matter? Well, it is because a marathon requires the runner to do things analogous to litigating a family law matter. I know this because, for the 2009 Columbus Marathon, I trained for, ran, and finished the race.

Running a marathon requires intense and extensive training and preparation for many months, often assisted by an experienced coach and/or a training partner or partners. Setting achievable and realistic goals with periodic reassessment are a must. Personal daily discipline and goal-setting for both distance and speed are necessary. Race conditioning includes strength and fitness workouts beyond just running. Good nutrition and adequate sleep are also necessary to fuel the body. Finally, one must have an "I can do it" attitude amidst adverse Ohio weather conditions; wavering support from family or friends; and real life crises, such as illness or injury.

Eventually, race day dawns. The perfect shoes and running attire are assembled. The nutrition-rich breakfast is consumed and hydration fluids are gulped down. Travel to the race site is a blur as the excitement mounts. Finally, the starting line looms ahead amidst the camaraderie of family, friends, coaches, training partners, and throngs of enthusiastic onlookers.

The starting gun cracks and the runners surge forward, ultimately settling into their individual race rhythm. The course continues among varying roadways, water stops, entertainment, and cheering crowds. There are abundant mental and physical challenges. Then, at long last, in the distance, the finish line beckons. You give everything you have left in the final push to the end. The crowd cheers every runner as he or she finishes. As you cross the finish line, you feel euphoria for achieving what first seemed an impossible goal. Following the race are celebratory moments…and body aches for days. Happiness continues and thoughts of the next marathon occur…and then real life intrudes.

Attorney-Coach

Like a marathon runner, you are seeking an attorney as a coach to guide you through your family law matter. Selecting a capable and competent coach who is knowledgeable and experienced is vital because there are many steps along the way toward your goal. Some steps are hard, while others are quite easy. Like a marathon runner, your ability to reach the goal is affected by many people and facts. You have control over some, but not all, of those people and facts.

Personal Discipline and Goals

And, like a marathon runner, personal discipline to provide data and information in a timely manner and to communicate effectively with your attorney is vital to reaching the finish line. However, unlike the marathon, which is well-marked and carefully measured, no two family law matters follow the same course. Rather, each situation is unique. At the end, when you cross the finish line, like a marathon runner, you may experience many emotions from euphoria to sadness…those feelings may linger for months, years, or a lifetime.

Thus, litigating a family law matter requires some of the same personal discipline needed to prepare for, run, and finish a marathon. Your thoughtful selection of an attorney-coach is one key decision that will help make the litigation process as manageable as possible. While there are no perfect attorneys for every case, I invite you to consider my credentials, knowledge, and experience as described below. I also encourage you to call me or meet with me to determine whether I am the right fit for your case.

Legal Background

I have worked in family law since I established my private practice. However, my legal career as an attorney began when I worked as a Staff Attorney to Judge David Fais of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division. After working for Judge Fais, I opened my own law firm.

Family law quickly became the bulk of my practice. After working as a solo practitioner, I then joined a law firm in Columbus as an associate attorney, where I also mainly focused on family law. After a time with the firm, I became a Staff Attorney to Judge Elizabeth Gill of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch. In July of 2008, I became Of Counsel with the law firm of Dougherty, Hanneman & Snedaker, LLC.

I now focus my practice entirely on family law. I help clients with divorces, dissolutions, legal separations, child custody, child support, spousal support (alimony), paternity, and other family law matters. Because it is an area of law where I can help people, I truly enjoy what I do.
 
My experience as a Staff Attorney to two different judges proved to be invaluable. Being a Staff Attorney provided me with the opportunity to get to know the Judges and their staffs and helped me learn about the inner-workings of a court.

Credentials

I received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Dayton. While at the University of Dayton, I also minored in French and International Business and studied abroad in both eastern and western Europe. Activities while attending the University of Dayton included: mock trial team; Phi Alpha Delta (Prelaw Fraternity); and Amnesty International.
 
I received my law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Activities while attending law school included: pro bono research group (research fellow and officer), teaching dispute resolution skills to middle school students, and teaching basic legal concepts to grade school students.

Previously, I worked with Franklin County Interfaith Legal Services as a volunteer, a member of the steering committee, and as the first Chairperson.

When I am not assisting clients, I enjoy spending time with my husband and son and other family and friends. Running and weightlifting are avenues to physical fitness that also take up my free time.