By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News
After Kelly Stewart’s parents divorced when she was 16, she watched her mother struggle to raise three children with little to no help, only interference, from their father.
“People get divorced, why shouldn’t they have someone in their corner who has an idea of what they and their children are going through? I felt I could be that someone,” says Stewart, a senior paralegal at Woll & Woll in Birmingham, specializing in family law.
Starting full time work at 18 to pay for college, in 1998 Stewart earned an associate’s degree in Legal Assistant Applied Sciences from Oakland County Community College.
Her favorite course was the trial preparation class, in which she and her class partner prepared as plaintiff’s counsel and another group prepared the defense, in an automobile accident scenario. The class met at Oakland County Circuit Court and each group put on a mock trial, with their professor – the Hon. Fred Mester from the Oakland County Circuit Court – “presiding” over the case.
“Judge Mester was on the bench for 28 years and I learned a great deal from him,” Stewart says.
Starting work with Woll & Woll after graduation, where she has now been employed more than 17 years, Stewart has expanded her practical legal knowledge through work at the firm.
She also earned her bachelor of arts degree in Legal Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy, where she appreciated the flexibility of course offerings.
“While working toward a degree in Legal Administration, I was able to take classes in the business college that I could use for my legal degree, which, I believe, provided me with a more rounded outlook at office administration,” she notes.
Most recently, Stewart completed specialized training in the area of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders, a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of asset division.
The training was held at Divorce Solutions, LLC, in Southfield, which has held seminars for several years on financial issues involved in divorce, including the division of retirement benefits. Stewart tries to attend at least one seminar a year.
“They provide real life examples of how to handle specific retirement account situations as well as provide the legal cases and statutes to back up your position,” she explains. “The information I learned has been invaluable to aid our clients in making more informed decisions when it comes to dividing their marital estate.”
Each workday brings different challenges, as Woll & Woll deals with extremely sensitive aspects of clients’ personal lives. Stewart’s work runs the gamut from speaking to clients, opposing counsels and court clerks, to scheduling, client meetings and reviewing financial documents.
“I will also draft pleadings and other court filings, assist in court hearings and depositions, as well as fix computer issues and answer the phones,” she says. “This is why I really like what I do – it’s never the same!”
A member of the Oakland County Bar Association since 2000 and a member of the Michigan State Bar, Paralegal division since 2006, Stewart enjoys being able to help people.
“Our clients come to us at one of the worst times of their lives and if I can help them navigate the process, while easing their stress, I’ve had a good day,” she says. “It can be demanding and exhausting, but it’s all worth it, when I see my efforts make a difference in our clients’ lives.”
She can also empathize with clients. Married for nine years, she became a single mother when her son was 8 months old.
“For years, I knew what it was like to be a child of divorce, but now I know what it’s like to be divorced – it gave me a new perspective and appreciation for what our clients feel,” she says.
“Being a working, single, parent is no easy task, but I have years of examples, both good and bad, from current and past clients. I’ve witnessed so many parents make it through the trauma of divorce and come out on the other side to give their children a happy, healthy start in life – these experiences are how I know my son and I will be okay.”
The Farmington Hills native now lives in Farmington with her 5-year-old son. Her mother and stepfather live in the area; and Stewart has two older half-brothers, a younger brother and sister and a stepsister, and is the proud aunt of six nephews and a niece.
Very active with her church, The Salvation Army in Royal Oak, she volunteers in the nursery once a month and is a co-leader of the Girl Guard troop (similar to Girl Scouts). Being a member of The Salvation Army has afforded several opportunities to travel and give back to the community, including bell ringing at Christmas time, a two-week mission trip to the Bahamas, and a trip to London last summer.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to attend various camps through the years, including music camps,” she says. “My involvement with my church has brought a tremendous amount of fulfillment to my life.”
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