Megan S. Murray, Esq. was recently featured in the January 2020 Navesink area issue of The Journal. Read the republished article below, or by clicking here:
Local Attorney Helping Clients Find the ‘Brighter Tomorrow’
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Local Attorney Helping Clients Find the ‘Brighter Tomorrow’
By Shanna O’Mara
Megan S. Murray, founder of The Family Law Offices of Megan S. Murray in Hazlet, was recently selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers of America, ranking her among the top 5 percent of practitioners in the nation. Specializing in family-related and matrimonial matters, she provides expert counsel with a personal touch.
Although Murray was just a pre-teen when her parents decided to separate, she saw how the process affected her mother in particular.
“I watched my parents go through a terrible divorce, but I was inspired by the way my mother’s matrimonial lawyer told her what she needed to hear, not what she wanted to hear,” she recalled. “I don’t think my mother knew how to write a check at that point, but she had to learn to do things for herself and find happiness after the divorce.”
“My mom was a dance teacher, and her lawyer said, ‘Go teach. Be independent.’ She convinced my mother that she was capable of doing things on her own.”
Murray pursued a career in family law, hoping that she could help others get through what can be an extremely stressful time in their lives. She specializes in all areas of family law, including divorce, alimony, equitable distribution, child support, child custody and domestic violence.
People often stay in an unhappy marriage, Murray said, because they fear the unknown. One of her goals during this process is to help her client realize they will “come out OK on the other side.”
“There is a brighter tomorrow,” she said.
To get to that tomorrow, Murray ensures she is always as prepared as possible for the proceedings.
“The surest way to achieve the best result is to know the file and the facts inside and out,” she said. “Ask the questions behind the questions. We need to be able to justify every position we take – have the facts and law to back it up. If I don’t do the digging, I am not going to get the best possible result for my client.”
So from the first consultation, the digging begins. Murray said she presses potential clients to evaluate how well they will get along and work together.
“I think of the initial consultation as a two-way street. The potential client and I are interviewing each other,” she said. “Some attorneys take any case that comes their way and do a surface-level evaluation. I need to know that my client and I are a good fit. Being on the same page ensures that my advocacy is optimized, and we achieve our objectives as efficiently as possible.”
Murray is conscientious about limiting her caseload. She regulates her volume of cases to ensure she can provide top-quality work to each client. She prides herself on providing personal attention and care to each case she takes.
“I take it seriously to get back to my client as soon as possible,” she said. “Answer questions and instill confidence. Going through a divorce is a harrowing time for people; I think it’s incumbent upon me to be there for them.”
Still, she prioritizes the client’s long-term well-being when working through this difficult time. Because divorce often leaves a person vulnerable, she encourages self-reliance along with her helping hand.
By fostering a collaborative environment to grow and move forward, Murray said she maintains strong relationships with many clients beyond the conclusion of their cases.
Murray currently serves as secretary of the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She is one of 10 female attorneys selected as a Fellow to the prestigious Matrimonial Lawyers Alliance of New Jersey. She is also chair of the Charity Committee of the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, through which she has helped collect donations of thousands of dollars to Court Appointed Special Advocates, a nonprofit that advocates for children whose families have been cited for abuse and neglect.