What do you find rewarding about being a Fellow of the AAML?
Studying for the admissions test made me take a deeper dive into the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. I didn’t take family law in law school; I went into general practice and then started concentrating on family law. So the test, and the subsequent CLE seminars, really gave me a whole different view of family law.
What area of family law do you find most interesting?
I’m trying to find alternatives to down-and-dirty custody litigation, trying to look at things like collaborative parenting and other mediation. I’m not afraid to go to court; I’ll go to court any day. But at this point in my career, I place a lot more focus on the alternatives.
What’s the first tip you have for a client?
Gather information. I think no one really looks at the big picture things—“Where do we spend our money? What does our retirement look like?”—until they complete a comprehensive financial affidavit. That’s going to help guide the case, from the standpoint of both finances and family dynamics.
What’s the best career advice you’ve received?
First, take short, frequent vacations. In family law, you have to get out of your own head and out of your clients’ way; even a long weekend will make you a better practitioner. The second piece of advice was to trust myself, and not simply assume that other people know more than I know.
Lisa M. Nyuli, partner at Ariano, Hardy, Ritt, Nyuli, Richmond, Lytle & Goettel, P.C., with offices in South Elgin and Huntley, can be reached at lmn@attorneys-illinois.com and 847-695-2400.
