Meet Lindsay Heller and her Family
name Lindsay Heller
Family (names/ages) Jason, age 38, Public Relations Leader at 5WPR; Teddy, age 3.5, and Sonny, age 1
Pet(s) Duffy, our dog who we rescued in 2016
Occupation Family Law Attorney, Partner at Fox Rothschild
Contact Info
Phone
973-548-3318;
Email
LHeller@foxrothschild.com;
Instagram
@lindsalahthelawyer
How long have you lived in Westfield and what brought you to town?
In 2021, we followed what now seems like a very common COVID era migratory pattern to Westfield from Jersey City (where we lived for over a decade). We weren’t necessarily looking at Westfield but my sister-in-law (founder of Westfield-based BeautyCall Wellness), asked if we’d move to town. With her family in Westfield and my sister in Scotch Plains, I told her that we would if we were walkable to her house. Within about 24 hours, she found us a house around the corner that wasn’t even on the market yet. We’re beyond lucky to grow up so close to our family.
Tell us about your family.
My husband, Jason, and I have grown a beautiful and fun family over the last 18+ years together. We are both Jersey born, raised and educated. We went to the same high school (Fair Lawn) and started dating in college (Rutgers) after mutual friends set us up. We’ve been married for over 10 years and have two children – a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Teddy and a one-year-old son Sonny. We also have a dog, Duffy, a 10-year-old rescue. Our children laugh constantly and so do we. We both work extremely hard – me in Morristown and Jason as a PR Professional in NYC – and our children have been in daycare full-time, both since they were 20-weeks-old, which has helped shape them into very social and active kids. Sports or a good movie can be found on screen at home when we can find time to sit. We get immense pleasure by cooking large meals for a crowd of friends and family (yes, we do both Friday night candles for the four of us and Sunday dinners for the larger brood). Traditions are really important to us; with all of the running around, we make sure to give the kids ways to feel grounded and connected. Having been together since we were 18/19 years old, Jason and I have really grown up together and developed our own way of having a family together, which is something I cherish.
What are your favorite family activities?
We love to walk in town! We are huge walkers, having lived in Jersey City and walked everywhere for so long… It took us a while to get into a driving scene. As a result, Teddy’s obsession with Kirschenbaums is a bit concerning but I am to blame. Jason can also be seen riding his bike with one of the kids on the block on a nice day. We are lucky to live in the tight knit Washington School neighborhood, and we try to walk around the neighborhood every day. As New Jersey residents through and through, I can say without shame that we have Westfield Diner or Vicki’s about once per week. We also love a good day trip; we have a Turtle Back Zoo membership, frequent Liberty Science Center, love a beach day and the boardwalk, and a Winter NYC day is on the top of my list. Admittedly, I force our family back to Jersey City every so often, too! Without the kids, Jason and I love to grab a drink at Addams, a meal at Limani, catch a good flick, go to a sporting event, and more walking. To all our Westfield side hustlers who DJ, may I suggest a place for dancing? Side note: I love to sing and dance though I am not good at either.
What are some of your fave restaurants and places to shop?
We love Kirschenbaums, Westfield Diner and Vicki’s, Chutzpah, Farinolio, Addams and Limani, as well as Bareburger with the kids. We also enjoy Cranford spots with 100 Steps and Ambelis at the top of the list.
Any fun family places for vacations?
We love going to Montauk over the summer; it’s far enough to feel away but close enough to drive, and there is just about nothing to do except the beach and the pool, which is great because we are always doing too much between work and the kids’ activities, and all of our social lives. We try to go every year! We also go to Florida about once per year to visit my sister-in-law and her family, including my adorable niece, and my mother and father-in-law who live in the sunshine for half of the year! Before kids, our vacations looked a little different but now we enjoy the warmth and the down time!
What was the best advice on motherhood that you ever received?
The day may be filled with a lot of hard moments but then there is at least one moment that is so special that the harder moments fade away.
What made you decide to raise a family in Westfield?
Initially, being closer to family made the decision for us. This has expanded since moving here once I realized that we literally live in Pleasantville. Westfield is such an amazing family town, between the pockets of neighborhoods to explore, town to enjoy, and the parks at every turn. It’s so wonderful, and crazy, that Teddy has her own world here at three and a half years old, and Sonny is now doing the same. Teddy and Sonny are both in the JCC and have made fast friends and I have been lucky enough to become great friends with many of their parents. We also live on a street filled with kids around their ages who they love to play with (and their parents are great friends and neighbors!) and other families who have already raised their children in town and now love to dote on ours!
Tell us a bit about your career. What made you get into law?
Actually, I love to write and planned to be a journalist. I went to Rutgers and was a journalism major, getting ready to graduate when the economy crashed and the journalism world changed. So, Jason said that one of us should go to law school and that it should be me… which I always remind him of when we discuss my student loans! Coincidentally, my best friend and I had recently watched Legally Blonde and decided to take the LSAT. That’s a very true story! “What, like it’s hard?” At my alma mater of Seton Hall, I was fortunate to be part of the Family Law Clinic after taking family law courses with my professor – also raising her family in Westfield – and I was hooked.
I was a law clerk in Union County for a matrimonial judge, Thomas J. Walsh, J.S.C., of Westfield (the connections cannot just be coincidental) who became the presiding judge of the matrimonial part.
From there, I worked at two boutique family law firms practicing exclusively in this field, and then went to Fox Rothschild in 2018, and then promoted to Partner in April 2020, continuing to practice exclusively in this field.
Pro Bono work has always been a part of my career. Hailing from Jersey City, I joined the Board of Trustees for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Hudson County – supporting children in foster care – around 2017, and then became a member of the executive committee, secretary, vice president and then president. I have also been appointed by Superior Court Judges to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem for children and for litigants, as well as appointed as an attorney for a child. These roles assist the Court in understanding what is actually going on in particularly acrimonious custody cases, as well as advance the voice of the children.
What type of law do you practice? Tell us about your practice?
I practice family law, ranging from divorce to domestic violence and parties who were never married but have children together. Family law is unique in that you are truly helping someone go through a major life transition – some clients are ready for the change and others are not – but we truly are setting up their family and financial futures so I take pride in connecting on such a personal level and appreciate the client’s trust in me.
Being you live in Westfield, do most of your clients come from the community?
My practice ranges across New Jersey. I love Union County and it’s where I started and where I live so, of course, I have local cases. My practice is anchored in the Northern NJ counties, including Bergen, Essex, Morris, Union and Passaic. I also practice in other New Jersey counties even if less frequently, including Middlesex (go Rutgers!), Monmouth, Hunterdon and Mercer. Finally, my practice extends to New York City where Fox also has an office and I primarily handle the family law practice there.
Family law must be complex on so many levels? How do you help your clients?
My clients need support. I help them understand what issues are important and where our focus should lie, and do my best to separate the emotions from what should be a ‘business decision’ at least with respect to their finances. For my clients with child-related issues, which is many, I help my clients portray their children’s needs without actually getting their children involved. Where possible, I talk with them about when to push and when to let go, and to think about what changes may come in the future even though no one has a crystal ball. For example, in a case that is extremely amicable and the parties expect to be that way forever, I have to remind my client that this may change with future relationships and other circumstances, so the Agreement should have a fallback that may never be put to use but exists if needed; in a case that is extremely acrimonious but for emotional reasons and not because one party is nefarious, I try to help my client see their future family events (graduations, weddings) and how to manage the other person so their children do not have to be on edge when the parents are in the same room; in a case where one party is acting in bad faith (think beyond any level of reasonableness), the nice talks may happen behind closed doors, but we do what is necessary to litigate the case.
Is getting divorce always a nasty process? How can someone who is coping with sensitive issues deal with?
No, a divorce does not have to be nasty. While I have my fair share of cases in which one party is exhibiting bad faith (i.e.: lying, hiding documents, being abusive even through litigation), I also have my fair share of cases where many of the issues are personal and not litigation/position based. Each case is different. I almost always suggest that my clients engage in individual therapy. Even if the client thinks they are not impacted by the process, or they wanted the divorce, there is no question that a divorce is a major life change.
With all your experience, you’ve seen most all different types of cases, right?
Yes – I have worked on cases in which the parties were married for less than a year with no children, cases in which the divorce took longer than the marriage lasted due mostly to custody issues, cases with infants and cases with adult children, cases of 50+ year marriage, and so on. In my non-dissolution practice (never married but have children in common), I have had cases where a parent attempts to build a relationship with a child after not being a part of their life for over 10 years, and then cases where the parties were no longer together from the child’s birth and are back in court often. In my domestic violence work, I have seen a myriad of types of abuse, as well as have seen claims of domestic violence in order to gain the upper hand in other litigation, which is always a shame given the victims that truly need protection. As I always tell people, though, I see cases where the parties – or at least one – needs a lawyer. There may be many families that separate without the need for a lawyer, that just wouldn’t be part of my experience.
And, with your great work in this field, you have earned various honors. Tell us about it.
Thank you. I have been selected to the list of Super Lawyers Rising Stars for years 2017 through 2014, as well as Ones to Watch for Family Law by Best Lawyers in 2021 and 2022 and then Best Lawyers in America for Family Law by Best Lawyers in 2023 through 2025. These are peer reviewed honors, which makes them even more special because my esteemed colleagues have recommended my inclusion on these lists.
How can someone reach out to you?
I am happy to speak with anyone who feels they are in need, or just to talk. My work contact information is Phone- 973-548-3318; Email-
LHeller@foxrothschild.com; Instagram – @lindsalahthelawyer
How do you juggle your professional life with raising a family?
It’s crazy. When we were in Montauk this summer, I really took note of how meaningful it is to have mornings together – no one rushing around, no one anxious about where to be and at what time… and by no one, I mean me. I am trying to bring that peace into the current school year but life is life. My children are in daycare full-time, before care and after care, and we have a sitter three nights a week during dinner and bedtime. Sometimes I get upset when I think about that. But, when I really give it thought, I know my kids are thriving; they are so social, they are so smart, they are having so much fun, and they are watching two parents work really hard, which is giving them a life lesson every day. I make sure that I get the kids up, give them breakfast, and pick them up from school. Sometimes I can’t be the most present at dinner or bed, but I don’t even think they realize because of how present I am when I am with them. I try to make their days off from school special ‘mommy’ time. I do what I can to make us all feel better – or perhaps to quiet my mom guilt – but this is the only way of life they know and I am amazed by both Teddy and Sonny every day. I do have a new passion project of documenting my ‘regular mom’ school food prep… stay tuned!
How can others learn from your journey and the passion you have for your life?
I learn so much from the people around me. My parents and siblings, and my in-laws and husband’s siblings, have all taught me so many incredible life lessons. I learn from Teddy who is sassy as can be, and Sonny who is mushy as can be. I learn from my partners, many of whom have also become my closest friends, and I learn from my friends who are a strong foundation of my life. Jason has taught me something new from the day we got together, over 18 years ago. The idea that I can teach someone something is still unfathomable to me. But, I guess what I can say is that prioritizing those closest to me is what keeps me stable during an otherwise crazy young adult/motherhood life (can I say I am young anymore?), so perhaps that. Keep a strong foundation to help you stand on your own.