South Florida Paralegal Blog

Since 1994, I have worked as a South Florida Paralegal. Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by the law. However, I never planned on a career in a law-related field. In fact, I graduated with a B.A. degree in music, my first love. I have played guitar (self-taught) since age 13 yet never planned on that providing a career either.

After one year in Palm Beach Community College majoring in economics, I decided that being a financial consultant would allow me to have a comfortable living, but my true love was music. With the encouragement of an always-supportive Mom, I took the plunge. As a single mom, she never had the luxury of "pursuing her dreams". She was too busy trying to put food on the table and deal with a guitar-playing rebellious teen. But when I sheepishly asked her opinion on switching my major to music, she said without hesitation "go for it!".

After four years of music theory, sight-singing classes, piano lessons, arranging classes, classical and jazz guitar lessons, I was armed with a degree that qualified me to.... to do what? I wasn't sure.

I was playing four nights a week in a successful local band but had no idea what I was going to do when I "grew up". If I was going to teach music and earn a steady paycheck, I knew I would need at least a Masters Degree and probably a P.H.D. The thought of five more years of school wasn't too appetizing at this point.

Luckily, fate interceded in the form of an acquaintance who owned a local paralegal company. She worked directly with the public and typed legal forms for bankruptcy, divorce, corporations and other legal forms. We talked for a bit and she asked me "what do you know about bankruptcy?". "Um, absolutely nothing", I replied. "You're hired". And the rest is history.

In 2000, when this acquaintance (eventually a friend and employer of six years) decided to move in a different career direction, she offered me the opportunity to buy the company. Sounds like that razor company guy, doesn't it?..... "I liked the company so much, I bought it".

So here I am, typing legal forms instead of playing on a stage in smoky clubs. Sure, I've been in a few bands over the years and music will always remain my first love. But helping people in trouble is a very close second. Besides, lugging amplifiers up and down stairs isn't that fun anyway.

When I moved last year, I was organizing some of the relics of my childhood.... second grade report cards, high school year book, etc. I stumbled upon one of those "aptitude" tests from junior high school that was supposed to predict my career path in life. You know the tests I'm referring to.... hundreds of strange questions penciled in the circle with a #2 pencil and some all-seeing, all-knowing computer would spit out my destiny. I don't know why I saved this unexceptional example of educational crystal-ballery, but my eyes were drawn to its' conclusions.

First career choice - Entertainment
Second career choice - Law

(Insert Twilight Zone theme here)