From Criminal Defense to Helping Families Take Root: Why My Practice Includes Adoptions

When most people think of a criminal defense lawyer, they picture courtrooms, cross-examinations, and maybe the occasional “Law & Order” rerun. What they don’t picture is balloons, confetti, and happy tears. But at my firm, I am thankful to include both.

Yes—I handle everything from speeding tickets to serious felonies. But I also help families grow through adoption. At first glance, those two practice areas might feel worlds apart. In reality, they connect in one important way: they both change lives.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

In my criminal defense practice, I spend my days protecting futures. Whether it’s a teenager who made a bad decision or an adult facing serious charges, my role is working to ensure that missteps—whether one or many—don’t define a lifetime. It’s hard work, it’s gritty, and sometimes it means being “the bad guy” while working to make sure the government plays fair.

Adoption, on the other hand, is the joyful flip side. Instead of defending an accused person’s rights against the weight of a government prosecution, I get to help families finalize what has often been a long path to a permanent and legal recognition of their bond as a family. The courtroom is rarely more joyful than on adoption days, where a family gets to walk out officially recognized as a family, forever.

Why Both Belong in My Practice

I include adoptions in my law practice for the same reason I “leave it all on the field” in courtrooms on criminal defense cases: because families matter. Sometimes families are trying to hold things together in the face of a criminal charge. Other times they’re coming together to give a child stability and love. Both deserve an advocate who understands the stakes and cares about the outcome.

Certainly just as importantly, practicing adoption law can be good for the soul. After weeks of arguing motions and challenging evidence, it’s a rare gift to walk into court for a hearing where the judge is smiling, everyone is celebrating, and the final order is one that builds a future.

At KWW Law, my job isn’t just about cases or esoteric Latin phrases — it’s about people. Defending rights, protecting futures, and yes, sometimes helping families grow. Whether I’m keeping a criminal record from derailing a career or finalizing an adoption that’s been years in the making, I’m here to make sure one day in court makes a lifetime of difference.