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Brian Galbraith of Ontario Family Law Blog: LexBlog Q&A

Family lawyer Brian GalbraithToo often we get caught up in the promotional aspect of why lawyers blog – while building your brand, your practice and your thought leadership are all important things, sometimes it’s the human behind the posts that really makes a blog successful and worth reading.

Brian Galbraith, a family lawyer in Ontario, Canada, writes about family law in posts that come from his own experiences as a divorced parent. One post on the Ontario Family Law Blog from December, on spending the holidays alone for the first time after a divorce, was one of the most memorable posts from the LexBlog Network in all of 2009.

"I did not expect it to be such an emotionally cathartic experience for myself personally," Brian says of his blogging. "I have enjoyed being able to share my experience, both practical and personal, through the blog. It’s hard work but worth the effort. The reception from others has been encouraging and supportive."

Of course, he is also blogging to raise his profile within the legal community, the media community and to potential clients. We caught up with him for this LexBlog Q&A to learn more about what topics he likes to cover and why Canadian lawyers should have a blog.

See our email exchange with Brian, after the jump.

Lisa Kennelly: Briefly, describe your practice area and your clientele.

Brian Galbraith: I practice family law in Barrie, Ontario. We do divorces, separations, custody and access disputes, property division, support, prenuptial agreements and other assorted issues related to separation. Our clients come from all walks of life and stages of life because divorce can come at any time. This is one of the interesting aspects of the practice: we meet seniors who have been married for 40 years who are going through a divorce and young people married only a few months facing a divorce. Rich, poor, healthy, sick, religious, not religious… divorce can enter anyone’s life at any time. We help everyone.

Lisa Kennelly: What is most rewarding about being a family lawyer? What is most challenging?

Brian Galbraith: I wrote a blog post about why I practice family law. I enjoy helping clients get through a very difficult stage in their life. We have a saying in our firm: “When one door closes, another one opens, but it is hell in the hallway!” Going through a divorce is being in the hallway. It is a time of uncertainty, changing identity and an emotional roller coaster. We help our clients by empowering them with information and support so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their family and we do it in the most cost effective way possible. We feel we are really helping them. Of course, we can’t help everyone, which is the biggest challenge. Some clients are so determined to achieve vengeance that we cannot pull them up from the gutter of their despair. In such cases, we feel helpless.

Lisa Kennelly: Why did you decide to start a blog?

Brian Galbraith: In the past, marketing of law firms was done by promoting your credentials. Now it is about providing the public with information and answers to their questions so they know, from having some indirect experience with you, that you are an expert and someone to be trusted. A blog is a perfect venue for this purpose. Having invited three new associates to join my firm in past three years, I wanted to increase the flow of clients to the firm. I saw the blog as the perfect forum.

Lisa Kennelly: How do you feel a blog can be of value to a family lawyer (or any lawyer)?

Brian Galbraith: Family law is often a hot issue in the media. I have blogged about hot topics such as “Why did Tiger Woods do it?” As a family law lawyer, I can give a particular perspective on the issue not often dealt with in other media. For example, during the H1N1 crisis, I wrote on the need to discuss decisions with your ex-spouse before proceeding, especially if you share joint custody. You don’t hear that voice in other media. It can be a challenge to find that “hot topic” each week but reading other blogs helps. Blogging raises my profile within the legal community, the media community and to potential clients.

Lisa Kennelly: Do you feel there is a distinct Canadian law blog community, and if so how is it different from U.S. law bloggers?

Brian Galbraith: There are very few Canadian blogs so there is a terrific opportunity for lawyers now. The Canadian public is very internet-savvy and so will embrace blogs if we start doing them. Of course, the Canadian blogs express the Canadian experience and perspective on legal issues so they are unique. We have a different legal system and different culture. Our blogs reflect our own unique identity.

Lisa Kennelly: What have you learned so far about blogging that was surprising or unexpected?

Brian Galbraith: The biggest surprise is that I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned to drill down within myself to really consider issues on a personal and deeper level. I share a lot about my own experience of divorce both personally and as a lawyer for over twenty years. I speak from the heart as a lawyer and man. I did not expect it to be such an emotionally cathartic experience for myself personally. I have enjoyed being able to share my experience, both practical and personal, through the blog. It’s hard work but worth the effort. The reception from others has been encouraging and supportive. I am enjoying the experience.

Interested in hearing more? Recent LexBlog Q & A posts:

Or, see our full list of legal blog interviews.