The Jersey Evening Post featured Cohen Family Law in their quarterly business section, highlighting Alexandra’s journey from law firm associate to founding her own practice focused on empathy and human connection.
“Cohen Family Law wants to maintain a human approach and focus on empathy, compassion, trust and honesty.”
Alexandra’s Journey
When Alexandra Cohen returned to Jersey after university, she took up a position in a law firm, where she was planning to stay for a short time before heading to the bright lights of London. Ten years later, though, having fallen in love with the work and qualified as both an English solicitor and a Jersey advocate, Alexandra’s temporary position had taken on something of a more permanent air.
But despite having settled back into the Island of her birth, earlier this year Alexandra felt that it was time for a change. The product of those musings was Cohen Family Law, a boutique firm specialising in divorce and relationship breakdowns, with a particular focus on the financial side of each case, as well as arrangements for children and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Finding Her Niche
“When I first entered the legal profession, I was dipping in and out of public law but as I started working on the financial side of cases, I found my niche,” explained Alexandra. “I’m good with figures and just naturally gravitated towards that area.”
“I love this discipline of law because it is one of the few areas where you can really help people and spend time getting to know your clients,” she reflected. “A divorce or relationship breakdown is one of the toughest things people go through, and being able to help someone through that challenging time is very rewarding.”
The Human Approach
Recognising the agony that many people are experiencing when they turn to Alexandra, she is also determined that Cohen Family Law will dispel some of the perceptions that people may have of lawyers.
“Often, during a relationship breakdown, people are at their most vulnerable and very emotional,” she said. “It can be difficult for them to leave the house or talk to people and when you feel like that, meeting a lawyer can feel intimidating. That is why I avoid wearing formal suits and using legal jargon, as I want to help the client to feel more at ease.”
Building Trust and Understanding
“My whole business is built on a recognition of how uncomfortable and difficult relationship breakdowns can be. It is all about being approachable. I talk a lot about being human rather than being a lawyer, and that really comes down to empathising and bonding with my clients, using plain English and making sure that they fully understand the process they are going through.”
Indeed, Alexandra says that educating people about the process can help both to make it less daunting and to manage clients’ expectations.
Specialist Expertise
Although a complex area of the law, one of Alexandra’s key areas of interest is pre-nups and post-nups. She noted that pre-nups can make discussions less difficult and less protracted if a relationship does break down in the future. However, she says, she encourages parties to have open discussions early on.
And while drawing up such an agreement may not be seen as the most romantic part of planning a wedding, Alexandra stresses that there can be both practical and emotional benefits to drawing up such a document.
Work-Life Balance
“It’s all about that human approach,” she reiterated, “and being less lawyer-like and more human-like while staying professional and respecting the law. I love the law but I am also passionate about championing a fresh, modern approach to family law, and that’s why I don’t want to expand the business too quickly. It’s really important to me that, even as Cohen Family Law grows in the future, it always maintains that human approach and focus on empathy, compassion, trust and honesty.”
