We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ursula Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ursula below.

Hi Ursula, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

The standard for divorce attorneys is to charge billable hours in 6-minute increments, which creates an incentive for attorneys to fan the flames of conflict. It is wildly unpopular among attorneys to offer flat fee rates for divorce. My philosophy is that most divorces can come to an amicable resolution and can be resolved without a contested trial, which can cost as much as $100,000. In rare cases, trials are necessary, but in most cases, conflict can be deescalated to allow for a productive negotiation.

Divorce can be one of the most traumatic events of a person’s life behind the death of a loved one and can lead to substance abuse, isolation, anxiety, depression, loss of friends, loss of a home, and severe financial distress. Friends and family who have not experienced a divorce may generally fail to appreciate the trauma of a divorce.

Inspired by my own story of divorce and heartbreak, I left a comfortable salary at a traditional law firm to form Azimuth Divorce, a firm exclusively focused on flat fee rates in Virginia. My goal is to take all the time my clients need in answering their questions and listening with compassion to their concerns, fears and heartbreak without having to watch the clock. I want my clients to have the highest quality legal representation without starting their new life in debt. I care deeply for all of my clients, and when you care your legal services will naturally reflect that standard.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was a Naval Officer for 15 years, and was fortunate to have been selected for a Navy funded law degree. After law school I paid the Navy back the 6-years I owed and then left active duty to follow my husband to Texas when he retired from the Navy. I worked as a prosecutor on the Texas-Mexico border for a year before transitioning to a traditional law firm to practice civil litigation. The unexpected death of my mom and my divorce shortly thereafter changed the trajectory of my life, which threw me into a severe depression and a spiritual awakening. During my healing journey I had a Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique (QHHT) session, where I saw a past life and learned my life purpose. This changed everything and made me realize I needed to use my law degree to help people experiencing a divorce, ego death and spiritual awakening. I believe that the universe will guide the right clients to my firm who are in need of an attorney who understands their unique circumstance. When you raise your vibration, you attract exactly the right clients in divine timing. What you choose ultimately chooses you. My brand likely appeals to women, but that is natural because women are the plaintiff in 70% of divorce filings, and my door is open to all people who feel guided to my firm. Before her death, my mom encouraged me to open my own law firm and, in a way, I am carrying on her legacy of love she showed to her patients as a chiropractor – I am just spreading my love in a different industry. I feel my mom’s divine guidance on a daily basis and with her support as my guardian angel I believe anything is possible.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I learned after making several posts to the Azimuth Divorce Instagram page that reels are sent to non-followers while posts and stories are sent to followers. In order to grow your following, reels are the best way to reach a wider audience. My goal is to create an educational reel at least three times per week to grow my following and educate people about various legal topics in divorce and family law. I also learned that reels involving narcissists, walking away from toxic relationships and being happy on your own before jumping into another relationship reach the largest audiences. My Instagram audience is craving inspiration, positivity, high vibrational and educational content that shows that many successful women can struggle with toxic, and abusive relationships. The core themes are self-love, healing and being single until you can be happy on your own.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Although starting my own law firm was always in the back of my mind, I was very hesitant and didn’t feel ready until I was 11 years out of law school. My mom, a small business owner herself, regularly encouraged me to open my own firm. However, it wasn’t until the unexpected death of my mom shortly followed by my second divorce that I was ready to make the huge life change to leave a stable salary to achieve my dream of being my own boss. The profound personal loss of my mother and husband thrust me into a journey of healing and self-love which gave me the confidence to open my own firm. I finally realized that you cannot achieve a different result through the same course of action you took in the past. I left the comfort of a salary, moved across the country from Texas to Virginia and started building the foundation of my dream to help others through the trauma of divorce. My goal is to help people achieve amicable divorces where they are able to move forward with their lives without taking on tremendous debt by engaging in unnecessary litigation. Often times, hurt feelings in a divorce translate into thousands of dollars in litigation costs that results in a bitter co-parenting relationship. My philosophy is de-escalation and productive negotiation to preserve a positive co-parenting relationship and allows the start of a new life without incurring crushing debt for divorce attorneys.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://azimuthdivorce.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azimuthdivorce/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/azimuthdivorce/

Image Credits

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