The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom. —John Locke
Over the years, attorneys have often been at the losing end of many a joke intended to undermine them and their profession. Truth is, though, when individuals find themselves in legal trouble, the person most valuable and necessary to them is an attorney. Whether it’s criminal or civil law, fair representation is top priority when stakes are high.
Tucked away in the Oyster Point area, there are a number of practicing attorneys available to offer just such assistance, one of whom is Attorney Jessica Casey of Casey Legal. Casey’s specialty is bankruptcy and family law and the handling of trusts, wills and estate planning.
As an attorney of family law, Casey spends much of her time handling divorce and custody cases, helping clients work through their situations to develop a plan that gives all parties the best possible case scenario. In divorce cases where children are involved, Casey says her top priority is the child. “I like being involved with the families and getting to know the children and seeing to it that they’re with the right parent,” says Casey.
Recently, Casey has expanded her responsibilities as a family attorney, taking on the position of guardian ad litem (GAL), an appointment that allows her to represent the children in a custody case. As the GAL, Casey’s job is to determine what solutions would be in the best interest of the child. Those solutions could include removing children from the home, determining appropriate parental visitation rights, and assessing which parent(s) should have legal custody of the child. “I’m the child’s advocate in these cases, making sure the right parent has custody and that the child’s voice is heard,” says Casey.
In addition to family law cases, Casey handles chapters 7 and 13 bankruptcies, which help clients either get their debt forgiven or reorganized for partial repayment, respectively. These types of cases comprise the bulk of work processed within Casey Legal—more specifically, Casey currently has open approximately 20 chapter 7 cases and 80 chapter 13 bankruptcy suits. At any given time, there are 25 to 30 divorce, custody and/or visitation cases open and in process.
For Casey, her profession as an attorney is about helping people; it’s about securing the most favorable outcome for all parties involved. And, in the process of making this happen, Casey says, “I try to be very down to earth—approachable and personable. We are very family oriented here. There are always kids in the office, and if anyone needs to bring in their kids, we want them to feel free to do so. My paralegal will make sure they’re okay.”
Casey has future aspirations of opening a second office in Hopewell and possibly bringing on another practicing attorney. At present, she has a small space in Hopewell where she meets clients, by appointment only.
While the common cultural perception of attorneys is, perhaps, one of derision, one unfortunate legal misstep may easily turn that perception upside down for a potential client. And, behind those attorney jokes are real people like Jessica Casey who parents small children, enjoys scrapbooking, paper crafting and all kinds of artistic projects and who somehow discovers that ever delicate balance between work and play.
TO THE POINT:
Casey Legal
Address: 753 Thimble Shoals Blvd., Ste. 2B, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: 757-596-0456
Contact: Jessica Casey, attorney at law, owner
Website: www.caseylegalpc.com
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