“Two things come to mind when you boil art down to its core purpose. Firstly, art is a means by which an artist can express themselves. Secondly, art is something that shapes a viewer's experience. The practice of law is very much like that in that lawyers express themselves through their practice. You can tell a lot about a lawyer by how they choose to practice law, whether it be their personality, values, or priorities; their practice is an expression of who they are as human beings. And that expression shapes how their clients experience the legal world. Some clients may only have one interaction with law their entire lives; it's up to us legal artists to ensure it is a positive interaction.” - Monique Slade

Monique SladeAssociate

Monique Slade immediately connected with family law, and it shows. She excels in situations where she must actively practice empathy, and family law demands a lot of heart and sensitivity.

A progressive and compassionate approach to family law

Monique genuinely wants to make the legal process as easy and painless as possible for her clients “because my job is to get you on the other side as whole as possible,” she says. The fact that every single client is grateful to work with her is exceptional proof.

Monique didn’t think she could handle family law at the beginning of her career; it seemed too emotionally charged. But once she was exposed to family law more practically, observing how you can help people piece by piece helped to change her tune. Having a child also helped bolster her reverberant empathy and sensitivity to client cases and parenting issues.

“Having the ability to help people recover from this process is very rewarding,” she says, “but it can also be mentally draining.” Monique’s support system, healthy perspective, and work-life balance help her to right the ship.

She also has an affinity for solving puzzles, a frequent theme in family law cases. For instance, why does this person want that, and can we fulfill that in another way? Efficiency is the primary driver as she looks at the best way to solve the puzzle. Her brain is constantly buzzing with new ideas and techniques to implement.

She is thrilled to be at Scarfone Hawkins, LLP and considers the Family Law Group, the ‘dream team.’ She’s actively involved in the law firm’s diversity committee, an initiative near and dear to her heart. “Everyone should be aware and considerate of diversity and inclusion in their practice – treat people the way they deserve to be treated.”

" Q: Personal role model?"

− A: “Everyone that has had a positive influence on her life. ”

" Q: Most important life lesson?"

− A: “Do the best you can with the tools you have. ”