Today, Virginia Dugan, Allison Pieroni, Denise Ready, and Sandra Rotruck are lawyers at the firm who try their best to identify with their clients. In doing so, they have continued to contribute that balance and understanding at Atkinson & Kelsey.

Family law covers child development issues, conflict in the family, and complicated financial issues. In order to be a good family law lawyer, one needs to be able to work with a whole variety of issues—and have compassion for the clients one serves. Atkinson & Kelsey lawyers handle such cases as divorce, child custody, spousal support, child support, property division, military divorce, adoption, paternity, domestic violence, pre- and post- nuptial agreements, and family law appeals.

The women at Atkinson & Kelsey are able to relate to some of the women clients who walk into their office simply by virtue of their gender, understanding, for example, what working mothers go through. If they cannot directly relate, they are able to empathize. Allison Pieroni says, “We have to put ourselves into other peoples’ shoes to be able to fully understand what the situation is to take the right plan of action.”

Sandra Rotruck explains the collaborative law that Atkinson & Kelsey practices: “This is where we get different opinions and perspectives on our cases within the firm. We have an open door policy, which means everyone is open to discussing cases and talking about what other options can be considered.” Every week, the lawyers attend lunch meetings to debrief everyone on what cases they have at hand, which help lawyers look at their cases with fresh minds and thoughts.

All four women say they have their high stress days, but this is true because they want to do their best for their clients. “It is stressful because it’s very personal to people,” Allison says.

Virginia Dugan says this line of work is difficult but highly rewarding. All the women smile when remembering the rewarding cases and say those cases are what keep them going. They all understand that the situations are emotionally charged and they make sure confidentiality requirements are met, as well as ensure that client rights are handled with concern and care. They want to advocate for the right reason. Virginia says she usually has a basic idea of where she wants to go with the case in the beginning, and once that is set, it is a matter of helping clients move forward.

Denise Ready talks about how everyone keeps their knowledge up-to-date. “We get a Bar Bulletin each week that has the new case laws; we read different areas of law; we are fortunate to have a library that is kept current in the office. We attend various seminars and give lectures at other seminars. We have weekly meetings and review meetings.” Everyone is most proud of the open door policy at the law firm; everyone is willing to offer their input.

The expertise of all the women is evident in the fact that all are well spoken and have a wealth of experience. They talk of integrity and justice; two words they say are practiced in their daily lives. Sitting down with these women, it was easy to detect how deeply they listen and hang onto every word spoken by a client. As each speaks of her daily tasks and trials, she smiles, showing her love of working for people. And they are not easily intimidated.

The best way to find or contact a lawyer is simply by looking on the Internet, flipping through the phone book, contacting the New Mexico State Bar for their referral services, and going by word of mouth. When looking for a lawyer, one aspect that is most crucial is being comfortable with her or him. Sandra explains: “It is essential to make sure you are comfortable with your attorney so you can easily communicate. Some people are afraid to ask questions and they shouldn’t be. People feel they have to go along with what is said to them but that is not the case. Ask questions.”

People who need a lawyer are looking for understanding, compassion, empathy, and expert advice when it comes to family and relationship problems, which these women offer. The women of Atkinson & Kelsey say they go the extra mile for their clients.

“We are not going to do things just to do them. We are going to look out for each client’s interest the best possible way,” Allison says. “But at the same time we are going to look down the road to see if it’s the best thing and if it will help in the long run. We also try to protect and take the time to know our clients.” Virginia adds, “We try to decrease the animosity and litigation.”

All four women—and David Kelsey—agree that they do not want to be exacerbating any situation or building on the acrimony. David speaks highly of all the women at the firm—as well as the other staff members. It’s clear he is happy where the firm is now.

Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A.
Office: 2155 Louisiana NE, Albuquerque
(505) 883-3070
Toll Free (800) 640-3070
www.atkinsonkelsey.com