Meet the legal team that will help you move forward

After working for 20+ years in the food industry, I was in desperate need of a change. I felt that my knowledge and experience were wasted in my position at the time. I worked long hours and never had opportunities to spend with my family. As the general manager of a fast-food restaurant, I was always on call, having to drop everything if my store “needed me.” I was burnt out. Through a mutual friend of the firm, I learned the firm was looking to hire a new receptionist. I didn’t have specific experience in the position, but I was hopeful that my many years of customer service would be an asset. I have always wanted to work in a career where I could be more helpful to people, and I found that at Jackson Nelson.

Together, my husband and I have 4 children. Our oldest will be graduating with her associate’s in science in the Spring 2025 from Brightpoint Community College before transferring to a 4-year college to pursue a Wildlife Conversationalist degree. We will have a high school senior in 2025 who will be attending Longwood University in the fall studying Psychology. Our younger too will be a rising 8th grade and 11th grader in the 25-26 school year. We love the outdoors. Between Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, we spend lots of time camping and gathering around a campfire. We enjoy traveling and are always looking forward to our next adventure.

My customer service knowledge and experience serve me best in my current position. I am typically the first person that most people speak with at Jackson Nelson. When a client calls in upset, I do my best to try to calm them. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to them. I’ve learned to listen well and use my compassionate nature to serve them. Some situations are outside of our control but I can always listen and help point them in the better direction.

I try to develop a professional yet caring relationship with our clients. I want them to know that I care about their case and goals. Although there are times, we have to manage expectations and help our clients keep to deadlines; I hope that it comes across that I do care about each client and their case.

I love being a paralegal at Jackson Nelson because I really feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives.  Having been through family law issues myself, I know it feels like a marathon and can be incredibly emotionally tough.  I like helping people in whatever way I can so they can get to the conclusion of their cases and move forward.

I like to spend time with my daughter checking out new coffee shops, restaurants or bookstores or sometimes we love a lazy day at home, just watching movies.

I think it’s important to remember that every custody battle is about the children.  Emotions run high especially when considering custody of your children, but the bottom line is you have to think of how this is affecting them and what is in their best interests.  Animosity with one another doesn’t help the children get through the stress they inevitably feel from parents going through litigation, so do whatever you can to just think of them first.

As a child I had a passion for dance and hoped to make that my career path. Though I did not make dance my full-time career, I did teach dance for a long time. I have continued to carry the passion I have for dance into my career as a paralegal.

I have lived in Hampton Roads now for almost 10 years, but I do miss my small-town roots. The biggest difference between Michigan and Virginia would be the weather, which I can’t complain about. I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people here in Virginia and have a great network here, but Michigan will always be home. I am grateful as a military spouse to be located in an area with a large military population (something Michigan does not have) and amongst people who are in similar situations.

Every aspect of our job is to ensure that we are moving our clients forward into a better position than what they were when they came to us. My hope is that each client sees that goal as we move through each step of their case.