Page 16 - NC Triangle Vol 7 No 1

FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY OF THE MONTH
Mary Gurganus
This Old House
WRITTEN BY BOB FRIEDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEADSHOTS AND CORPORATE
Two young children squeal with delight as Oreo, a black and white Chihuahua bounds happily a er them through the dining room of a majestic, 116-year-old Raleigh Vic-
torian home. e aroma of home-baked cook- ies wa s through the air. In the study nearby, Raleigh divorce attorney, Mary Gurganus, is consulting with one of the children’s parents.
is old house in the Glenwood South neighborhood is the new home of Triangle Divorce Lawyers. Built in 1903 for about $6,500, most of its original interior is still in- tact including coal-burning replaces, with ornate tiles, oak and pine oorboards, and the original wood trim.
“You can feel like you are in a home, even if you are in a conference room. It’s more re- laxed,” said Gurganus, who owns Triangle Divorce Lawyers. “We’ve been in o ce com- plexes and now we are in this home setting. It’s comfortable. Clients feel like they are visiting, not being questioned.”
Gurganus said the house embodies the rm’s goal of achieving traditional family values during and a er a divorce. “You want to par- ent your children. You want to have enough money to live on. You want to be okay. You want to live a quiet, comfortable life. at’s what enriches many family’s time together”
When children come to the o ce because their parents have a meeting or a courtroom appearance with their attorney, there is a play- room with toys, a TV, snacks and a place to nap ... and, of course, there’s Oreo.
“We make the kids feel like they are at home, not going to an o ce,” said Gurganus.
She described the furnishings as “elegant” and “modern eclectic” which imparts the rm’s slogan: “Helping Navigate Your Modern Family.”
ATTORNEY AT LAW MAGAZINE · NORTH CAROLINA TRIANGLE. 7 NO. 1 16