A Letter from the Founder

A Letter from the Founder

The last four years have been an incredible journey where I have been able to build  the products and services I envisioned during the years I worked with Oregon families struggling to afford legal services:

  •  An on-demand document platform where individuals could create their court forms affordably and without having to hand-edit PDFs 
  • Workflows that provided instructions for families facing legal issues whether just starting out  or trying to change an existing  judgment 
  • Turning intakes I used for traditional clients into courses and advice for DIY-er's to learn about their rights, responsibilities, and options ("Legal Orientation") without the high costs of traditional lawyering
  • Creating posts, emails and videos which gave away information to help  individuals and families facing court to reduce their overwhelm and better navigate their options

Over these 4 years, it's been my joy and privilege to:

  • watch as these products and services helped people help themselves
  • see families move their lives forward on their own terms
  • join the "tribe" of lawyers challenging traditional lawyer-centric models or outmoded conflict based solutions
  • partner with you to explore and find your solutions 

Sadly, the majority of families hiring lawyers continue to default to traditional lawyering, often without awareness of their alternatives. Before legal consumers can exercise options, they have to know they have them. I spent the last 4 years at Rogue Family Law working hard to create a middle ground between  traditional lawyering or going it alone. I worked hard to raise the profile of alternative legal services as a member of the Oregon Statewide Family Law Advisory Committee (SFLAC) and co-chair of the SFLAC Futures Subcommittee. There's still much work ahead before we realize the greater promise that "unbundled" and technology-assisted legal services hold. I remain more certain than ever that these methods are an ideal way to close the "access to justice gap" and transform family legal services into a more family-friendly, constructive legal system. As the old saying goes: if you walk 10 miles into the woods, it's going to take you 10 miles to get back out. Unfortunately, I find time is not on my side.

This is because the launch of Rogue Family Law allowed me to make other changes, including returning to my roots: working to impact children's  lives as their lawyer in their own legal cases. This work is court, time and energy intensive -- and it's growing by the day. After all, helping children was why I began my family law practice and became a lawyer. The tech- heavy nature of Rogue Family law also allowed me  in year 2 to return to my native New England.

I no longer have the time to do the educational work necessary to promote alternative legal models generally and to develop Rogue Family Law  specifically into a full-time business. The demands of these two separate practices are no longer sustainable - the scheduling conflicts with court and multiple time zones no longer compatible. I've decided to close Rogue Family Law effective December 31, 2024 so I can focus on my work with children here in Maine.

Legal Orientation and Document Portal course access closes May 1, 2025, whereupon the site will be shut down.

What this Means for You if You Need Representation  

As with all decisions about hiring a lawyer or weighing a choice, you will need to carefully consider what is right for you. However, consistent with our mission at Rogue Family Law, we don't want to leave you without a starting point.  

If you're approaching divorce, separation or a parental break up in a cooperative way and you and your partner can still work together to find resolution, then collaborative law may be your solution. 

Several excellent collaborative lawyers for you to consider include:

If you and your partner aren't at a point where you can work together yet, you can visit:

If neither work for you right now, you can check out free court resources.

To all of you who have worked with us these past 4 years, used our workflows, taken our orientations, attended one of our workshops, subscribed to our mailing lists or just visited with us on our blog, it's been an honor.  

I remain gratefully yours,

Samantha D. Malloy

Attorney & Founder, Rogue Family Law