Stacy D. Phillips

Gregarious and energetic, Phillips has always made time to socialize and stay in touch with friends. Over the past several months, her neighbors have gotten to know her better, as well.

Phillips has been taking frequent walks through her Beverly Hills neighborhood since the pandemic started, often taking calls through her earbuds as she paces the steeply graded streets.

The attorney, who is known for representing high-net-worth clients in divorces and other family law matters, said the nature of her cases have also evolved since March.

“In the beginning of COVID, folks were scared but they were trying to be communicative and to figure out how to work through their divorce while they were in lockdown,” Phillips said. “Over time, people got frustrated and cases that would normally settle were not settling because people were being unreasonable.”

Phillips has adapted to the quirks the pandemic has wrought on the legal system. She has participated in innumerable conference calls, hearings and depositions over Zoom and LACourtConnect, she said. And although she’s gotten used to the remote proceedings, she catches herself envisioning old procedures at times, such as when a retired judge goes to talk to the opposing side during a mediation.

“I literally visualize the judge walking down a hall even though it’s a click of a button,” she said. “I’ve been doing this so long, that’s always my visualization.”

Los Angeles County Superior Court has stayed open throughout the pandemic for urgent family law hearings and filings, but its courthouses remained closed for most functions until June. When the courts opened—with an array of Plexiglas barriers and safety protocols—Phillips was ready, passing out masks and face shields to the opposing side and court personnel.

A recent hearing she attended was postponed after the communications technology being used by an off-site attorney malfunctioned. Given the challenging circumstances, attorneys practicing today have no choice but to “roll with it,” said Phillips, who prides herself on being adaptable and creative.

“If I start thinking cookie-cutter, then I’m going to take down my shingle,” she said. “My clients pay me to think outside the box, and frankly, that’s the fun part.”

— Mark Armao