Today we’d like to introduce you to David Callahan.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In early 2016 myself, Attorney Laurel Barraco and Irena Inman grew tired of the large law firm mentality where the only focus was on billable hours and attorney bonuses. So the three of us started our own firm where the focus could be about the client and helping them work through their problems without them feeling like they were simply a case number within the office. Our primary focus is family law which includes divorce, custody, alimony, child support, etc. These cases require us to deal with intimate details of our clients lives to the point where by the end of their case we feel like we are part of their family.
Over the past year and a half our firm has grown exponentially. We have added three associate attorneys, Caitlin Costigan, Dahlia Bonzagni and Diana Sladen, all of whom we had worked with before that share our same ideals and goals. We also have an excellent firm administrator, Vicki Bradley, and two paralegals, Megan Edwards and Allison Rich, who are not only excellent at what they do but are amazing human beings.
When we started it was very important to the three of us to make sure that we were a firm that put the clients’ needs above anything else as well as giving back to the community. Each year we have given away a spa day for a mother who is going through a divorce or custody battle for mother’s day. In turn for Father’s Day we give away a dinner at a steakhouse for a father who is going through a divorce or custody battle. For the back to school season we gave away three $100 Staples gift cards to help parents with back to school costs. The Christmas season can be particularly difficult for individuals dealing with divorce. Money is usually very tight and the parents often worry about how they are going to afford gifts for the children. This past year we picked a client who was having a particularly difficult time, she had to cancel the layaway that she had arranged at ToysRus and didn’t know what she was going to do. We cut her a check so that she could get the gifts she had on layaway and one of our associate attorneys, Diana Sladen, took the time and went on a shopping spree at ToysRus to get additional gifts for the children. When we presented the gifts/check to the client she cried tears of joy and relief at the same time. Seeing her happiness was the greatest gift anyone of us could have hoped for during the holidays.
Another program that we are particularly proud of is what we have done for adoptions in the Worcester County Probate and Family Court. Adoptions hold a special place in our heart as they are one of the few types of cases that we get to handle where it is truly a happy occasion. We spoke with the register of probate and asked how many adoptions they do in a year and found that the number was around 100. We then contacted Build A Bear Workshop and were able to obtain 125 teddy bears at cost along with custom t-shirts that read “My Forever Bear” and then donated the bears to the court. Now when a child is adopted in the Worcester Probate Court each child receives one the bears we donated and they have something to remember their special day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a whirlwind since we started. Simply by treating people the right way and making sure they receive the appropriate value for the services that they pay has led to a great deal of growth. We get calls from potential new clients every single day, most of whom were referred to us by prior clients. The greatest challenge is finding enough time in the day to help everyone.
Please tell us about Callahan, Barraco & Inman.
We are most proud of what we have done to give back to the clients and the community who trust us to handle their cases. What sets us apart from other law firms is our willingness to adapt to our clients’ needs. Every client gets our mobile phone numbers and has access to us even after “normal” business hours. In family law it is not uncommon for situations to arise late at night or on the weekends and we would rather spend some time on the phone with a client on a Saturday to ease some of their fears so they can try and enjoy the rest of their weekend.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1700 West Park Drive
Suite 160
Westborough, MA 01581 - Website: www.CallahanBarraco.com
- Phone: 5083721200
- Email: David@CallahanBarraco.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CallahanBarraco
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