The Practice of Patience: Working with Family

The Practice of Patience:

Working with Family

by Shekka Drayton, Law Office of patrick Martin, gEiCO Staff Counsel

Ask each lawyer what their In reflecting on their working consistently frequents her office for practice is like, and you’ll receive relationship and family life, the conference room space and specialized a myriad of answers as vast as the law Cromeys adapt to their strengths and IT support that aids her practice. Both itself. It is not uncommon for attorneys weaknesses. Jason is a great cook. families have found balance in these to work alongside family in their However, their kids would say Carrie unprecedented times. practice. Several families within the “practices cooking.” As it pertains to Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association working, the Cromeys admit their The de Kozans, the Gross family, enjoy this opportunity. Five ESRBA styles are completely different, yet and the Holmans share a working families share how they navigate family complimentary. Carrie states, “We really relationship between parents and and work life amid the pandemic. enjoy our jobs, so we talk about work children. Belinda de Kozan, a seasoned a LOT, but it’s our family business, so mediator and civil litigator, is a partner COVID-19 has permeated every aspect when we land on a decision, it feels at DeMaria, de Kozan, & White of daily life. The practice of law is no meaningful.” For the Woodwards, alongside Kathy DeMaria and Katie exception. Jason and Carrie Cromey compartmentalization is key. “Do not White. Her son, Mitchell de Kozan, of Cromey Law; Belinda and Mitchell bring family issues into work, and do joined the firm after his graduation de Kozan of DeMaria, de Kozan, & not bring work issues into the home,” from The University of Florida Levin White; Terence (Terry), Rhett, and reflects Doug. After four years of College of Law and admission to The Tyler Gross and Dalton Allen of working together, the Woodwards Florida Bar in 2019, specializing in Gross & Schuster; Stephen and Justin have mastered implementing these Wills, Trusts, and Estates. Terence Holman of the Holman Law Firm; and boundaries. “Separation of the two is “Terry” Gross founded his personal Doug and Tiffany Woodward of Moore, easy for us. We practice two totally injury firm in 1981. He’s had many Hill, & Westmoreland shed light on different types of law, so there is very associates and partners over the years. the dynamics of practicing with family little shop talk at home outside of the Terry’s sons, Tyler and Rhett, served as during an unprecedented time. occasional general strategy question.” public defenders prior to joining the They have a “divide and conquer” firm in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Both the Cromeys and the Woodwards strategy that allows them to seamlessly Dalton Allen, Terry’s son-in-law, practice alongside their spouse in a care for their children. They coordinate joined the firm in 2020. Stephen and firm setting. After years of public the family schedule to make sure Justin Holman are a dynamic duo with service in criminal defense, Jason everyone’s needs are met. practice areas in family law, personal Cromey founded Cromey Law in injury, and civil litigation. Stephen 2015. Carrie joined forces with her In light of COVID, the Cromeys Holman has practiced civil law for 34 husband at Cromey Law in 2019, setup virtual office systems for intake, years. Justin has worked with his father bringing with her ample knowledge in document management, and task/time for six years. consumer protection and bankruptcy. management, although they have the Doug Woodward enjoys a long flexibility to meet face to face when On the topic of working with family, history of working at Moore, Hill, & needed. For the Woodwards, their entire Belinda de Kozan finds it exciting to Westmoreland. Doug, a civil litigator firm went remote during the initial work with her son. “We’ve always had with a practice focused in construction, shutdown and gradually opened after a close mother-son relationship, so joined the firm in 2001. Tiffany implementing the necessary precautions. working together just gives us one more Woodward, a family law attorney and With the joint impact of COVID and opportunity to enjoy time together.” Florida Supreme Court Certified the inoperability of the bridge, Doug Belinda sees her firm as a family Family Law Mediator, joined the firm Woodward works from his Gulf Breeze environment and equally accredits in 2017. home while still making it into the office Mitchell’s professional development to several times a week. Tiffany Woodward the mentorship of her partners, Kathy

and Katie, as much as her own. Prior to COVID-19, the de Kozans maintained a general rule of not discussing work outside of the office. However, in the aftermath of COVID and Hurricane Sally, the de Kozans find it necessary to discuss work-related topics during what would otherwise be personal time. Both mother and son are Gulf Breeze residents and have adapted to both COVID and the bridge closure. They were able to resume practice in the office on June 1, 2020 with the strict implementation of safety and social distance measures, which permits Mitchell to conduct in-person executions of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. The ability to conduct business via Zoom also has been instrumental, particularly in Belinda’s mediation and litigation practice.

The Gross family gets candid about their work life balance. Tyler Gross posits, “It can be hard to completely separate the two. Nevertheless, it allows us to have a deeper understanding of what each person is dealing with professionally and personally. This helps us balance out the load when necessary.” A family business through and through, Tyler acknowledges that his family is extremely close and tightknit. “Not only are we partners and best friends, our wives and kids are also best friends.” In response to COVID, the practice has invested in changes and upgrades to their file storage system, client management system, phone system, internet provider, and digital marketing provider.

When it comes to work life balance, the Holmans don’t feel the need to draw a line in the sand. “You don’t necessarily have to [separate work and home life]. It’s hard not to discuss the innerworkings of our law practice whenever we’re together, and that’s perfectly fine with us. Law and home life is integrated when you have a father and son who enjoy practicing law,” reflects Justin Holman. Their practice is symbiotic. Justin draws on his father’s 34 years of experience while Stephen enjoys the fresh perspective and new strategies Justin provides. In response to COVID, the firm has adapted to better understand and use technology to support their practice. Justin credits their successful navigation of COVID-19 to The Holman Firm’s dedicated staff.

Although each family and work life look different, they all agree that practicing with their loved ones come with the invaluable benefits of trust and respect. Each may have their own style, but they all share qualities of strong work ethic and relentless representation for their clients. It is this resolve that has carried them through an unprecedented pandemic, and it is this commitment to excellence that will sustain them for years to come.