Heather Quick is no underdog when it comes to fighting the long, strenuous battles in court. A former prosecutor with a background in criminal law, Quick switched things up and devoted her career to family and divorce law. Determined to find her niche, she now solely represents women through divorce and other family law matters.
A Jacksonville native, Quick says her passion for the law stems from her uncle, a prosecutor and her grandfather, an attorney and FBI agent turned judge. In fact, it was her uncle, Kurt Simpson, who first introduced Quick to the area of family law. Simpson became a strong mentor for Quick and she followed closely in his footsteps starting off as a prosecutor.
In that role, she found a strong affinity for litigation and the draw of the courtroom. She wasn’t afraid to seek justice, no matter how strenuous the task at hand. In the end, however, she knew criminal law wasn’t her passion.
“I feel like I was called to family law,” Quick says. “As a child of divorced parents, I could relate to clients and in family law, it’s a very relational field.”
While she appreciated and acknowledged that working for the state attorney in the Sixth Circuit was a valuable experience as a young attorney, Quick explained that she viewed it more as a “residency,” for her longterm career. Part of the reason she knew it wasn’t in her future is because she wanted to choose the cases and the people she represented. Searching to find her place, she began teaching part-time at a local law school while her children were young. Again, she was faced with the reality that teaching wasn’t right.
“I respect professors and teachers,” she says. “It just wasn’t for me.”
Weighing the options ahead of her, she found herself in a predicament. She wanted back into private practice, but she knew working for another firm wasn’t an option. With support and encouragement from her husband, Quick made the decision to strike out on her own.
The Quick Law Group was founded on her own principles – empowering and helping women. According to Quick, most of her clients are in the worst time of their life. They come to her broken. Being able to create, develop and adapt the tools and systems to bring her clients through those dark and trying times is beyond gratifying.
“We’re able to provide a unique opportunity to help these women through some difficult situations and ultimately help them find a renewed life,” she says.
While divorces are never an easy process to endure, The Quick Law Group focuses on educating women on their rights and the law, which as a result lends them the strength to endure the process and find more stability financially and emotionally.
Quick acknowledges that her approach to divorce and family law matters aren’t always appreciated or accepted by others in the same field. Quick explains that her role as counsel to her clients can be difficult, especially in contentious cases where other lawyers bring a different perspective of seeking resolution, which often results in cases being dragged on for many months or sometimes even years. Her goal is to settle each case quickly and effectively to allow her clients to heal and move forward with their lives.
While she credits her uncle and grandfather for the initial introduction to and example of practicing law, she also thanks her mother for her entrepreneurial side. Quick explains that her mother offered plenty of knowledge and courage about the business-side of things having tried several different businesses.
“She had an adventurous spirit, which allowed her to think outside the box,” Quick says. Quick also mentions that her mother’s personal experience with the aftermath of her parent’s divorce motivated her to advocate and help women in similar situations as her mother.
“I always want to create and explore new ideas,” Quick says. “I have an amazing husband who is all-in, which I’m so fortunate and grateful for.” With his help – and that of her staff – she’s able to balance her life between running a legal practice and time with her family.
“At The Quick Law Group, we’ve built a great business with A-team players who support me and our clients. I’m incredibly humbled by all the support that I have,” she says.
Since founding the firm, Quick has assembled an all-female team to cater to her female clients. She has been joined by an all-star team of attorneys, including Julie Rountree, Banda deLane Nadeau, Anna Mikhaliants, Susanna Quesenberry and most recently, Mercedes Blason-Aguilar.
In addition to her all-woman approach, Quick has brought a more holistic approach to the practice of law. Just take a look at her staff line-up which pairs the traditional roles of office administrator and paralegals with the more “unique” positions of directors of client experience and first impressions as well as a client engagement specialist.
“Women tend to be hard on themselves and take the blame after a divorce,” Quick explains. “I think having these specific roles helps educate our clients about what to expect throughout the entire process. The firm is centered around clients who are very stressed and emotional, it’s about minimizing fear and anxiety about the unknown.”
This team of women also brings their clients events and activities hosted at the office – like yoga, meditation and acupuncture – geared toward relaxing them and putting them in a position of clarity. Quick emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself first and foremost in all aspects – physical, mental and emotional. Health, fitness and spirituality are other driving forces that create a stable foundation for both the firm and its clients.
“The holistic approach adds to that goal of reducing stress, fear and anxiety for both our clients and the staff,” Quick says. “These are all strategies that have helped me in my personal life, so I like to expose these options to them as natural, healthy ways to cope.”
Just in 2015, Quick was awarded the international Silver Stevie Award in two categories – Women Helping Women and Female Entrepreneur of the Year. These awards solidified her passion for seeking justice and her passion for helping and empowering women.
“To win that award in two categories is very humbling. I’m so fortunate to have found my niche,” Quick says.
As an accomplished author of three books, successful lawyer and thriving entrepreneur, Quick offers some general words of wisdom for young professionals or students interested in a legal career.
“A legal profession is phenomenally rewarding,” Quick says. “There are so many options available, so you don’t need to settle on just one field of law. Talk to lawyers in the fields you’re interested in. Many people will approach the legal field with their mind set on one thing, but essentially find that their passion lies elsewhere.”
Looking to the future, Quick explains that right now, the firm is serving the Northern Florida area. Her goal is to expand the firm to serve the entire state of Florida and eventually nationwide.
