Modern Family Law: Legal Expertise With Community At Heart

Jasmine Bhatt: The event was hosted by UrbGarden, which is a nonprofit in the Austin area, and Amirah Islam, an avid contributor to ATX Free Fridge Project. They geared this particular event towards mostly South Asian and Middle Eastern communities. The focus of this event expanded to create a space for the community to engage with one another on global issues in addition to the grassroots of UrbGarden and ATX Free Fridge Project’s respective missions.

Prior to coming to Modern Family Law, I worked exclusively with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. As is still the case, many resources available to survivors were dependent on their socioeconomic status, or dependent on the abusive partner that they are fleeing from. Survivors of violence often need assistance in getting a divorce, or protective orders, but also often need further resources such as meals, safe housing, childcare, and community support in day to day necessities when starting over. UrbGarden and ATX Free Fridge Project come into play in assisting the community by providing necessities without requiring qualification or implementing any barriers to access, and attending a pop-up benefitting the community that involved these key players was very special.

The pop up brought together people from different cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, not limited to an audience of South Asian and Middle Eastern communities. Donors, donees, volunteers, friends, newcomers to Austin, and recurring guests of both organization’s previous events were in attendance.

My largest takeaway was that the pop up event was full of individuals that were all focused on helping grow and develop the accessible resources available in Austin, utilizing each person’s unique skillset and backgrounds.

In the beginning of the event, the event organizers and sponsors were able to describe to the guests what role they play in the Austin community. In regards to Modern Family Law, we shared that we provide family law services, which includes protective orders, custody agreements in addition to Divorce, which is many times what people may think of when hearing the term “family law”. As a South Asian woman myself, I have personally noticed how the concept of divorce can sometimes be a taboo topic within brown communities, and thought it was powerful to have the opportunity to show up in this space and provide the option for the community to learn that their particular concerns and questions can be represented, even within a legal dispute.

Jasmine Bhatt: I loved seeing well established Austinites interact with newcomers, that came from various walks of life, career paths, and familial structures bond over community and find opportunities to collaborate, understand and empathize with one another.  It was clear that the guests craved a purpose filled community to connect to and being a part of this was the highlight for me.

I also loved how guests bonded over the delicious food from both Bangladesh and Pakistan, and witnessed the guests quickly become comfortable with one another and engage in discussion of various topics impacting the Austin community. Everybody came in wanting to uplift one another and see where they could fit in and what they could learn from another. I loved listening to the questions asked, and the open-mindedness and understanding of what resources are at our disposal within our own community and how each person contributed their piece of the puzzle towards the collective.

Jasmine Bhatt: From the perspective of our law firm, I’d like to highlight that while we do provide family law legal services, we also understand that family law representation goes beyond direct representation, as we are aware that the lives of each of our clients are impacted to their core. Family law issues involve children, lifetime worth of property, relationships, safety, mental health, finances and so much more. Attorneys serve as a tool to assist individuals navigate their specific tools and crisis. MFL seeks to facilitate representation on a holistic level, accounting for an individuals personal, cultural, financial, and unique background.

We’re here with a diverse staff  that also come from all walks of life. We provide free consultations by attorneys so that individuals can take the time to get some insight into the legal journey they may embark on. Our goal is to provide a level of accessibility to the communities we serve so each person can make the right decision for them during an important time in their lives.