04/29/2021
Carol Jonhenry – Jonhenry Law
“I’ve found that as much as my clients need my help in understanding the legal process of whatever they’re going through, they just as often need someone to listen. Someone with a sympathetic ear to help them through their situation.”
Whenever we hear the word “lawyer,” lots of colorful, typically Hollywood-inspired stereotypes pop into our heads. The steely-eyed prosecutor skewering a hapless witness. The slithery defense attorney pacing in front of the jury box. The disheveled ambulance-chaser passing out smudgy business cards in a crowded emergency room.
Compassionate young wife and new mother, who specializes exclusively in family law? Not an image that usually comes to mind.
Meet Carol Jonhenry.
An Arizona transplant who earned degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice before moving to Columbus to finish up law school at Ohio State, Carol opened her own family law practice in 2015. Focusing exclusively on frequently difficult and turbulent matters like divorce and dissolution, domestic violence, child custody, and support. Carol believes that her educational pursuits perfectly complement her legal concentration. “My background really does lend itself well to the area of law I’ve chosen to practice,” Carol says. “Don’t get me wrong—I really love being in the courtroom and litigating. But equally as important to me is the emotional connection I’m able to develop with my clients. I don’t have a counseling degree per se, but I’ve found that as much as my clients need my help in understanding the legal process of whatever they’re going through, they just as often need someone to listen. Someone with a sympathetic ear to help them through their situation.”
Carol acknowledges the preconceived notions people have in their minds about “divorce lawyers.” She explains, “there are lots of attorneys out there who take that ‘steamroller’ approach—get everything they can get with no thought of what happens after. But that’s not me. If my client and I are going to trial, I will certainly advocate very, very hard for them if the gloves have to come off. But I don’t start with that approach because it loses the human element of the attorney-client relationship. I try to remind my clients throughout the process that the more civil we can keep things, the better it is for everyone involved.”
Though the responsibility of guiding clients through often difficult life situations can be stressful, Carol reveals that “yoga and hiking are great therapy!” Ultimately, though, she gains a profound sense of fulfillment from her work. “I know that I am helping to take some of that emotional weight off of the client’s shoulders,” she says. “Really listening to what they’re going through--helping them separate the emotional aspects and the legal aspects and then offering guidance to get them through the case process. They’re going through something that’s frequently very difficult, so when we get to the end and my client is happy with the results—it’s very, very gratifying.”
Jonhenry Law provides adept, strategic legal representation in all Ohio counties for your family law matters.
