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Hello everyone, I’m Dr. Michael Mantell with another edition of Family Law Matters with Bonnie Rabinovitch-Mantel, owner and managing partner of the very esteemed Primus Family Law Group. Hi Bonnie. Hi Michael, how are you doing today? Doing well Bonnie.

Bonnie, we are in very, very difficult trying times, particularly for our caregivers, our first responders, our healthcare professionals, our law enforcement professionals, military teachers, all of whom are carrying a burden that while myself and others try to describe in the literature, it’s unfathomable to those who don’t have sensitivity. Primus Family Law Group is very unique and differentiated in that your team has connections, direct connections, family connections, professional connections to these very stressed, very burdened, and burnt out professionals, many of whom are turning to domestic violence, to family stress and difficulties, and are beginning to think about or actually in the midst of divorce. Tell us a little bit about the kinds of understanding that Primus Family Law brings to these caregivers.

Well, you know Michael, we take pride as individuals to help these very, very important, like you say, first responders, military community, and all the others out there that have, that are now going through year number three of the pandemic. We have just started a whole other year with a whole other variant, and who knows where this is going to end. And they’ve got to be on 24-7, long beyond the capacity of what would be required for any other normal situation.

Obviously, we’re not in a normal situation, and they’re hit the hardest. And we at Primus are all touched by it personally, professionally, colleagues, friends, and family. So what we try to do as a team is, you know, we go a little above and beyond.

We do, obviously, we treat all of our clients with the utmost care and respect, but we also understand that these first responders in military community and the teachers who are going through this extra pressure, a little bit more helping hand. And so we take special care in how we help them through yet another traumatic event, which is either their dissolution of their relationship or the need to modify custody visitation because of this ongoing pandemic. I’ve spent almost 20 years, 10 of which were as chief psychologist for the San Diego Police Department, working with dozens of other law enforcement agencies.

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I understand what stress can do, but these times are particularly difficult. And I know that for physicians as well, confidentiality, privacy, when there’s domestic violence, when there’s threats of suicide, when there are all kinds of behaviors that are not within the normal range for these people are issues. How do you handle the confidentiality concerns that these folks have as they’re beginning to move forward in divorce? Well, it’s the same process we have for everybody.

We, whatever you tell us, we can’t share regardless of, unless of course, you’re telling us that you’re about to commit a crime so that we can share, but everything else, it’s attorney client privilege that is sacrosanct. And we take that very seriously because it’s our license on the line, as well as our goodwill in the community. That never has to be an issue for any of those coming to primus to have their legal issues addressed.

Time for professionals, for teachers, for physicians, for police officers, for the military, for first responders, nurses, time is an issue. They don’t have the time to take off to spend hours and hours in court where it’s public and so forth. What role does mediation play in working with these particular professionals? Well, if you’re able to, mediation works if both sides are willing to compromise.

So if you’ve got two people who want to keep their dirty laundry out of the public eye, which is completely understandable, primus offers mediation services where we sit with both parties. We do the forms that are all required for both parties. We allow you to discuss, to vent, to get what you need out with a view to working together to coming to reasonable solutions.

And so as long as both sides are willing to compromise, again, I go back to that because mediation or arbitration, none of that works if you hold on to a must-do position. If you’re willing to move that position, we’re willing to help you get there. I imagine that with these particular people, these folks in these professions, sometimes you hear things that are alarming.

He’s beating me up. She’s talking about suicide. She is not taking care of the children.

He’s doing this or doing that. How do you handle that when you hear it from these professionals? All of those allegations are troubling because it’s how they affect each other and how they affect the children. So obviously as an attorney, we have to take what our client tells us as at face value, but we also have to investigate the truth of it.

If there’s children being neglected, you’ll see that sometimes child welfare services will get involved. If there’s, he’s beating me up, chances are we’re going to get the police involved. There’s things that have to happen in order to ensure the safety of people.

And they’re mandatory reporters. We’re a mandatory reporter. So are the teachers of the children.

So are the doctors. So if this is occurring and somebody, you know, please, if this is occurring, please tell somebody, please tell somebody and get the help that you need and we will figure it out how to keep you safe and how to keep the other party restrained from hurting you or your children any further. You’ve had many, many, many years of experience working specifically with military personnel.

And I know that has long been a specialty of Primus Family Law Group. I know that most recently, particularly over this past year, you’ve been hearing more from teachers and physicians and even police officers. I’m not suggesting that first responders and caregivers are becoming the specialty of Primus Family Law, but certainly your caseload is filling with these folks.

I’m going to put you on the spot and ask you an interesting question. Why are they turning to Primus Family Law Group? What is it that you bring that is so attractive to these professionals? I think what we try to do is corral the emotions and make people see the picture. Primus is not about lining our own pockets.

Yes, we are a business. We would like to, we need to make our money, but we’re considering making money off your back. Now there are a lot of firms out there that have their own way of running things and that’s just not us.

We’re a family. We work as a family. We try to do a big picture way of getting you through this system.

We believe that goodwill and reputation is the ultimate complement. When our clients write a good review, because not only did we get them through the process, but we allowed them to have money for their children’s college funds, for future, for their own lives, that’s really important to us. It’s really important to get you through the system, not to get you through the system and take it all from you.

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I know another thing that you do is you give back to the communities in these particular areas. You’re involved and engaged and support these communities, not professionally necessarily, only in your office, but outside as well. For that, I want to thank you on behalf of all those other caregiving professionals.

Bonnie, if anyone in law enforcement or teachers or physicians or military or nurses want to be in touch with you for a free 30-minute consultation to take your pulse and connect with you, how can they do that? You can call us directly at 619-574-8000. We’ll put you on my calendar for that consultation to see how we can best help you with your matter, or you can reach out at www.PrimusFamilyLaw.com. Thank you very much, Bonnie. Have a great week.

We’ll look forward to another Family Law Matters next week. Have a great one, Michael. Love you.