Understanding and respect for the incredible life transition divorce represents is as important to working with people ending a marriage as the relatively simple task of helping them divide their assets. Every piece of advice given or negotiating position taken should reflect a primary concern about how it will affect the children involved and contribute to or interfere with the eventual healing of all concerned.

Fearlessly dealing with a topic as important as death is why a holistic lawyer might work with preparation of living wills and trusts. The legalities of dividing someone’s property are fairly straightforward, but helping them feel better about their eventual passing is a great unanswered need.

Win/Win solutions are essential to holistic legal practice. Whether dealing with a minor criminal matter, counseling people on a real estate transaction or mediating a business dispute, there must be an unwavering commitment to serving everyone involved. There needs to be absolute faith in the truth that striving to do the right thing will be rewarded with superior results.

Bringing harm to no one is at the center of this philosophy and the principle that people like Gandhi used to produce powerful results. Competency and personal integrity, rather than attack, are the keys. The ever-present need is to look for inner wisdom with the hope of helping to transform difficult life situations into positive opportunities for growing and forgiving.

This is my vision of holistic law. If it sounds radically different from the traditional functioning of our legal system, it is.