Lesleigh Wiggs Monahan has dedicated her entire career to family law over the past 31 years. Lesleigh strives to model her style of practice on combined principles of decency, common sense, and, of course, legal acumen. “Divorce is traumatically disruptive—economically and emotionally—to the lives of our clients and their children. It generates intense feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and severe anxiety. A lawyer’s duty is to educate our clients with respect to the procedural and substantive legal process so that people can make informed decisions to equitably resolve their conflict. Equally important, however, is the psychological insight needed to be effective—a divorce lawyer must support, guide, and counsel a human being who is likely at one of the lowest points in their lifetimes.”
Countless trials, marathon mediation sessions, demanding clients, and weekly crisis management: family law requires patience and objectivity.
“A divorce can be handled expeditiously, with civility and economy, but only if all of the players conduct themselves with integrity. It is disheartening when colleagues adopt a ‘scorched earth’ policy that mirrors their own client’s dysfunction or vindictiveness,” laments Lesleigh. “It is incumbent upon the attorney, an officer of the court, to bring calm to storm, not contribute to escalation of litigation. Domestic relations judges are inundated daily with highly contentious cases. They deserve legal advocacy from the bar that focuses on factual accuracy as well as intelligent legal analysis.”
Lesleigh comments that it is much harder to settle a case than to try a case because negotiations are frustrating, tedious, and highly emotional. However, litigation should be the last alternative to the skilled advocate.
Monahan’s professional success in promoting these viewpoints has led to a variety of leadership positions in our state. To name just a few of her career highlights, Lesleigh has served as chair of the family law section of the Colorado Bar Association, has been elected president of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers/Colorado Chapter, and has served on the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Family Issues.
“Divorce is a demanding area of practice. However, the relief on a client’s face when they complete the process successfully, through negotiated settlement, ready for the next phase of their lives, makes the process quite rewarding.”
Lesleigh gratefully credits her understanding family, her dedicated staff, and her top notch partners and associates in her boutique family law practice for sustaining her over her many years of family law practice. Lesleigh also credits her many friends and colleagues in the Family Law Bench and Bar.
“We all work with panicked, depressed, or volatile individuals who tend to repeat patterns of destructive behavior. It is essential to share information and problem-solving techniques with other lawyers. My goals in counseling clients and representing parties in these actions are to encourage ‘positivity’ with respect to moving on into the future as well as elevating a child’s needs above those of the parents.”
