What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?

I want my clients to have good information regarding their legal issues, but the information is only as good as the source. I have read a lot of Nolo information that is very good that I can share with my clients.

Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?

It depends. I help a lot of my real estate clients fine tune their paperwork.

Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?

It depends. Some people are able to do a good job, but when I need legal advice, I hire someone who knows that area of law. No one knows everything.

Why did you decide to be a lawyer?

I became an attorney to help people.

What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?

I grew up on a farm. My parents wanted us to learn the value of hard work. My dad was a pipe fitter. The farm was his part-time job. I learned those values. I have been working six days a week in my practice for years. I just started closing the office on most Saturdays. I need the rest. I also want to spend time with my family, which has grown in the last few years. My husband and I have hosted eight foreign exchange students from all over the world. We adopted our 7th, our son, Amiran Gelashvili.

Before I went to law school, I was a manager at several different types of businesses including fast food, retail clothing and outside sales. I understand seasonal work, which means for my clients, who work seasonal jobs, that I understand that their plan must reflect real life. So, for my clients, we use step payments and seasonal payments. This helps my clients stay in their case even when their income is reduced.

I call bankruptcy law, "happy law." It sounds odd, but before I started my own practice I did termination of parental rights cases for the State of Missouri. It was very nasty law. I saw the worst of the worst, including parents who murdered their children. Now, to do the reframe: I won my cases. To this day I have judges who say that looking at me makes them ill as they can't stop thinking about the family law cases that I had before them. So, bankruptcy is happy law. My clients are happy at the end of their cases, for the most part. The same is true with most traffic clients.

Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?

I enjoy helping people get out of debt and get a fresh start financially.

What do you like best about your career?

Law is a very powerful tool and can help a lot of people.

Tell us about your law firm:

I have an attentive receptionist/assistant who possesses excellent phone etiquette and clerical skills, along with vast knowledge of the business. I also have two knowledgeable paralegals with caring personalities who assist clients with various immediate needs. They handle all legal situations that occur in the client's bankruptcy and other legal cases.

What are your strengths and style?

Personal Interests:

Throughout the years my husband and I have sponsored eight foreign exchange students. Cary from Accra, Ghana; Vera from Ufa, Russia; Pablo from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; Sunny from Hong Kong; Bunyod from Uzbekistan; Jennet from Turkmenistan; Sasha from Moldova and Amiran from Republic of Georgia. In 2008, we legally adopted Amiran. We also have another exchange student living with us, who was originally my parent's student. His name is Aziz from Uzbekistan. My other interest would be my dogs, cats, and fish.