Conscious Family Law: Mediation Services & Conflict Resolution

Heidi S. Tuffias, a graduate from the University of Southern California Law Center , is a Certified Family Law Specialist and has sat on the Board of the Women Lawyer’s Association of Los Angeles since 1993.  Well-known and respected in her field, the success she has experienced is clearly due to her conscious business practice.  But these conscious success secrets of hers that extend far beyond the courtroom walls might be a lot more than you think.

Regulated by limiting protocols set in the sensitive arena of family law, family law attorneys are often seen as thick-skinned businessmen first, lawyers second.  As such, standing out in this field requires much more than shrewd knowledge of the legal system.  It requires a unique capacity to assist clients through these delicate matters with tenderness and care and it is just this, along with her many other unexpected conscious business practices, that has made Heidi one of the leading family law attorney in Los Angeles, CA.

Although most people think of recycling and buying eco-friendly products when they think of conscious business, Heidi’s law firm encompasses a broader definition. While her office does employ eco-friendly practices, her thoughtful, caring and holistic approach to family mediation services, altruistic volunteering of her conflict resolution skills, and generosity and consideration of her staff is what really makes this family law attorney stand above the rest.

Family Mediation and Conflict Resolution

Handling divorce mediation, child custody cases, divorce litigation, and child support cases with compassion takes a special type of person. Heidi is well known for being conscious in her field due to her listening skills, her compassion, and her way of settling cases using creative conflict resolution. Above and beyond being a family law attorney, Heidi is a mediator. She utilizes her cooperative and collaborative communication skills combined with her many years of experience to offer a unique blend of caring and innovative legal and mediation services that result in clients who feel cared for and conflicts that resolve more gracefully.

Heidi approaches each case knowing she is dealing with a family; a family that needs the right choices made as peacefully as possible. She strives to help her clients come to an agreement outside of the courtroom, allowing for a more personal resolution and making it a less costly experience for them both emotionally and financially.. Heidi has immense respect for her clients and they experience this in ways as simple as Heidi starting client appointments on time, but also because she believes clients are best able to be the ultimate decision-makers in their own lives. This may seem obvious, but it is a unique perspective in the legal community.  She strives to not only help her clients feel heard and settle their disputes, but also to help them heal through the process with dignity and grace. Heidi believes that a client’s case should follow their lives rather than their life following their case.  Heidi does not use a “one size fits all” approach, rather she sees her clients and their families holistically and takes their individual needs into consideration.

In addition to her creative-problem solving skills, Heidi brings a unique blend of common sense and humor to the process as well. She once told a client in regards to how to proceed, “You can send your children to college or mine?!”  Because of her humor and warm demeanor, many of Heidi’s clients can be heard laughing in her office during their appointments.  This is yet another influential difference you’ll feel when in Heidi’s presence that serves to truly uplift the work.

Her distinct, client-centered, conscious style has resulted in Heidi helping scores of clients reach successful resolution of their cases without ever stepping foot in a courtroom.  Of course, when she does litigate, it is amazing to observe Heidi bring her conscious approach to the courtroom. Rather than using a combative style, she presents her client’s truth with clarity so it is effectively heard by the Judge. Her unconventional, loving approach to mediation, collaboration and law have not gone overlooked as Judges, opposing counsel and even opposing parties often refer clients to her.

A Family-Style Family Law Office that Cares on All Levels

Heidi brings her distinct level of consciousness not only to the human landscape but the physical environment around her by ensuring that her office follows environmental responsibility practices such as recycling, printing on recycled paper and buying office supplies from businesses such as “Give Something Back Business Products” (GSB), a green, socially responsible business supplier that offers office supplies, furniture and printing.

On the internal front, one of the most notable ways that Heidi practices conscious business is in the way she treats her staff. Her intention is supporting people in being happy and being the most they can be and she achieves with her staff by offering a complete open door policy, promoting team work, and continually asking her employees if they are happy with what they are doing, whether they would rather be doing something different, and if there is any way they can be helped. Unlike many employers, Heidi focuses her attention on her employee’s strengths and regularly points them out. She looks for ways to assign the correct roles and make sure that everyone is doing what they are best at and what they enjoy the most. She also recently started monthly council meetings where the entire staff gather to share and explore their experiences working together and with their clients. In turn, the office environment is relaxed, upbeat, friendly, peaceful, inspiring and warm.

Her staff is truly a lucky group as she constantly shows her appreciation through a myriad of ways; they enjoy a closed office during the week between Christmas and New Years, go on a yearly retreat together, are given personal time and holidays, and are celebrated on their birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. Heidi also believes in sharing the wealth both emotionally and physcially; She is quick to share credit with her staff when she receives accolades and when things go extra well in the office financially, surprise bonuses are not unusual.

Volunteer Mediation Services

Heidi’s generosity extends outside the walls of her office as well sharing her gifts in the legal field with those in need.  Over the years she has been a volunteer attorney for the Los Angeles County Bar’s Juvenile Justice Program, as well as the Public Counsel Children’s Rights Project, and was heavily involved in the LA County Jail Project for women needing help with family law matters  such as appointing legal guardians for their children, filing divorces, and others. She also currently serves as a volunteer mediator for the Central and West Districts of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Heidi also encourages her staff to volunteer and supports their needs for giving back to their communities. She persuades her staff to take time to be of service to their communities in any way that calls to them.

Conscious & Kind

Consciousness is synonymous to kindness. Heidi knows that being kind to others and the planet is what being a conscious business is truly about. And it is just that kindness that Heidi exudes that sets her apart from other attorneys in the family law business.

Information Links:

The Law and Mediation Offices of Heidi S. Tuffias, Inc.:
http://www.familylawsolutions.com
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (ACFLS):
http://www.acfls.org/
California State Bar:
http://www.calbar.ca.gov

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