Surprising Struggles Successful Lawyer Read the full article on Law.com: “I am Broken in Some Ways: Miami Lawyer Turned Struggle into Success”
Gregory Ward, co-founder of The Ward Law Group, can certainly celebrate his successes. From growing a law firm with over 50 employees to settling some cases for over a million dollars, you would think Gregory would be one of those cocky lawyers more full of himself than the prospect of helping others.
Yet he takes time out of his day to share his fascinating story with members of different churches. Why does he reach out? “I get up [and speak] because I am broken in some ways,” he says in a recent law.com article. “Or I’ve made mistakes. Your story doesn’t end with you on the couch…”
At one point, Gregory Ward was on the couch. Days were spent paralyzed with grief and struggling in so many aspects of his life. As he mentioned, stories that need to be told don’t end with a couch scene.
How did Gregory wind up in such a vulnerable position? He may have said it best:
“It Was Really Like Everything Just Compounded at the Moment.”
When it rains, it pours. We’ve all heard that phrase. And sometimes, unfortunately, it is all too true.
Gregory Ward experienced this phenomenon around 2008. He was a young commercial litigator with a promising future.
It all started with the news that his sister been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. Sadly, she died at the age of 34 after battling the disease and addiction for several years. About a year later, Gregory’s father was also diagnosed with leukemia.
Moreover, the frequent flights to visit his father made it difficult to keep up with work. The relationships with his law partners became strained. To make matters worse, Ward’s wife moved to Europe (with his young daughter) to take care of her ailing parents. Eventually, this led to the unraveling of his marriage.
And then it poured…His father died. His marriage dissolved. The grief of it all seemed unbearable.
His only consolation: His daughter came back from Europe.
Things were far from perfect. Ward was nearly broke. He slept on a couch so that his daughter could have the bed in their small apartment. He knew he needed some sort of guidance. Ward read through self-help books as well as the Bible hoping to find inspiration.
The Turning Point
After meeting attorney
Jany Martinez things began to change. They started dating. After a few weeks, Martinez invited him to her church.
Something shifted inside of Ward during the service. The inspiration: a Bible passage talking about speaking to a mountain to make it move. Ward knew surrendering to his faith could help take him from the very dark place of his grief and loss.
Over the next several months, Ward made efforts to be constructive. He made a conscious effort to serve those who, like him, had fallen on hard times.
His partnership with Jany progressed. Eventually, they married and formed the humble beginnings of The Ward Law Group. In a small office with a folding table, Ward and his wife focused on helping those who were injured or victimized—especially Spanish-speaking immigrants from the Miami area.
Hard Work and Dedication Brings Success
After 6 years of serving those struggling after a personal injury, Gregory Ward and Jany Martinez-Ward now direct a successful law firm. It’s no longer a tiny office. The Ward Law Group now has more than 50 employees dedicated to aiding accident victims and their families through their darkest hours.
But, it wasn’t an overnight success. A lot of hard work and long hours went into making The Ward Law Group what it is today. However, the time paid off. Business grew organically without sacrificing the integrity of the firm. During that time, Ward’s family also grew with two more daughters.
Ward is now thankful for the challenges that changed the trajectory of his life. Of course, he would rather not go through such adversity again. In fact, he has an excellent way of putting it into perspective:
“Every tragedy, every setback, and every personal hurt. All that stuff then comes together to make you as powerful as you can be to help serve other people in the community.”
And that’s exactly what Ward does.
If you were involved in an accident or suffered a personal injury, feel free to give The Ward Law Group a call at 855-DOLOR-55 or
send us a quick message. We’re here to help serve you during this difficult time.