Hidden Gems: Voyage Baltimore Feature
View original post from January 28, 2022 here.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracey Perrick.
Hi Tracey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I graduated law school, Magna Cum Laude, from The University of Baltimore in 2006. Immediately thereafter, I clerked for the Honorable Patrick L. Woodward (Ret.) on the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland. After my clerkship, I entered private practice.
I worked for several well-known family law firms in central Maryland for many years, gathering a lot of family law/litigation experience. In the summer of 2020, I was working as a partner at a boutique family law firm with offices in Columbia and Annapolis when the owner of the firm decided to retire. I was around six months pregnant, and there was a world-wide pandemic.
I will never forget that Friday afternoon in June 2020 when I learned that the law firm that I was working for would be closing.
After the initial panic, the shedding of some (okay, a lot of) tears, and a lot of soul searching in a short amount of time, I decided it was the time to open my own law firm. In about six weeks, I spoke with many trusted attorneys with their own practices to obtain advice and insight. I then created my own law firm opening checklist, completed that checklist, and opened the doors of The Law Office of Tracey L. Perrick, LLC on July 20, 2021. I will forever be grateful for all of the kind attorneys who took time out of their busy schedules to help and provide advice.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was certainly not the smoothest of roads. But then again, as the saying goes, nothing in life worth having comes easy.
Leading up to the last firm I worked for, I worked for several firms in the area. I often thought about opening my own firm, but I am typically a very risk-averse individual and I could never quite gather the courage to get myself to that place. I even entertained leaving the law altogether at one point, but the few opportunities I had did not come to fruition.
When I started my own firm, I was not only in the second trimester of my pregnancy, I was also planning my small October 2020 wedding. I then had my son, Jacob, in November 2020, a few days before my 40th birthday – the best birthday present I’ve ever received.
I was able to take a few weeks to myself to be with Jacob and try to adjust, but then, it was back to work. As a newly minted solo practitioner, there did not seem to be many other options for me other than to keep working so that my business would thrive. Having a new born and a new business, I was sleep-deprived, stressed, but had to keep working. I am not sure I was ever able to fully relax and enjoy having a newborn. I certainly did not have the traditional maternity leave experience.
It was a really hard and stressful time – opening my own law firm, having a newborn, a new marriage, needing to work, and the height of the pandemic raging (pre-vaccines). It also weighed my mind that I was having a baby shortly after opening my own law firm. Would that potentially be a hindrance to my practice and the upward trajectory of my business? These thoughts crossed my mind often and kept me awake at night (along with the baby!).
Today, I am so thankful my business is thriving. So much so that I just hired for an administrative/paralegal role. . It hasn’t always been an easy road – I often work weekends and nights, but I was also able to stay home with my son on Fridays for nine months and take him to every one of his pediatrician appointments. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
In retrospect, I am so thankful for the doors that opened for me back in June 2020, and I am proud of myself for boldly walking through them at a time when it would have been more than understandable to take a safer route. I am not sure I would have ever opened my own firm had I not been given the kick in the pants that I got in June 2020. Life is funny and amazing that way.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Law Office of Tracey L. Perrick, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My practice is solely family law – divorce, custody, child support, modifications, contempt, some protective orders. I also frequently serve as a Best Interest and/or Privilege Attorney, representing children in high conflict divorce and custody cases.
Practicing family law means you are working with clients who are often at what they feel is the worst time of their lives. It is important to listen to your clients, understand their goals, and help them achieve their goals in a family-focused way.
I think what sets me apart is that I strive to always practice family law from a family/child-focused perspective, which to me, means hopefully keeping the case out of court, or, resolving the case equitably without the need for a trial. I remind my clients that they probably do not want a Judge, a stranger, to ultimately decide what is best for their family. I advise my clients thatcourt is expensive, stressful, and a loss of control. The litigation process is not best for families.
From day one, my clients understand their options and how it is almost always best for families to resolve their conflicts versus having a Judge make decisions for them. It is imperative to me that my clients feel empowered to make informed decisions. I also truly believe in trying to save my clients money. I am known to often tell my clients: “Don’t pay me $20,000 to fight over $10,000. The only people who win in these scenarios are the lawyers.”
While I always work toward a settlement with my client, there are cases that are not able to reach a resolution, either on temporary or final issues. I have significant litigation experience and will zealously and effectively represent my clients in the courtroom.
If I take a case, it will be given the time, attention, and priority it deserves.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My 14-month-old son is the light of my life. I never quite understood how much love a parent has for a child until I had my own. The love is overwhelming – in a wonderful way. I enjoy spending time with my family, my husband and son,and our Frenchton, Sammy.
Before having a child, my husband John and I often worked out together at our happy place, our CrossFit gym, CrossFit Cove in Columbia. I’ve tried to prioritize continuing to work out and I hope my husband and I can one day work out more together when we can find the time in our hectic schedules.
My husband always makes sure he is available to watch our son so I can get to the gym because he knows how important it is to me to help release stress and for my happiness. , I am so grateful for him and his support. What are some other things that make me happy? Dogs, a Starbucks oat milk latte, lifting heavy weights, books, the beach, a good meal.