Robert Joseph Williams

As the youngest of five children born to an over the road truck driver and nursing assistant, gowing up in Southwest Virginia wasn't always easy. In June of 1997, I became the first member of my family to graduate from high school and then go to college. I didn't follow the traditional path to becoming a lawyer. I worked my way through college and graduate school. I attended law school at night in the part-time, evening division program. It was hard, but as is the case with most things in life, the "hard" made it worth while. I chose to become a lawyer because by nature, I'm a problem solver. I like to get things done. I like knowing that when I help a client, I'm doing something for that person that only a lawyer can do.

After law school, I chose to stay in Southwest Virginia because the Blue Ridge Mountains are my home. The people here are my friends and family. There's no place on Earth that I would rather be.

After being in private practice, I chose to work for Blue Ridge Legal Services, Inc. because I believe that everyone should have access to the courthouse no matter how much money they have. Engraved above the front entrance to the United States Supreme Court building is this phrase: Equal Justice Under Law. Legal Aid programs like Blue Ridge help breathe life into this motto by serving the millions who would otherwise go unserved. I'm proud of what I do and the clients that I work for.

The majority of my practice is dedicated to Family law. I handle paternity, adoption, divorce, custody, separation and support issues in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court as well as the Circuit Court. Because these issues are often complex and nearly always emotionally charged, I employ a client centered approcach to the practice of law. This means that the client is always at the center of my thinking. I put myself in my client's shoes and look at the probelm from their point of view. Being client centered helps me to work as a partner with the client to develop a unique solution to the problem at hand. I don't believe in the "one size fits all" model of practice.  

I also practice Estate law. This includes the preparation of Wills, Advance Medical Directives, Powers of Attorney and some guardianship work. While planning for the future is important, it doesn't have to be difficult. I use the same client centered approach in my Estate work that I use in my Family law cases so again, the client is always at the center of my thinking. I work with the client to create a plan as unique as they are. Most the of the time, the client has a concept of what that plan should look like. They know where they want to go. My job is to break down the big picture into the individual steps to help them get there. 

In my view, no matter the area of practice, it's all about the client and all about the solutions!