Before Jess Eakes became an exceptional family law paralegal, she spent fifteen years learning child support from just about every angle possible. 

Jess worked for Wake County Human Services in Child Support Enforcement, starting as an administrative assistant and eventually becoming a supervisor responsible for eleven senior case managers. Along the way, she developed an extensive understanding of North Carolina child support law and spent her days working with attorneys, parents, and the people responsible for keeping a very complicated system moving. 

Eventually, Jess decided she wanted to understand more than one piece of the family law puzzle. 

She joined Triangle Smart Divorce while also going back to school for her Paralegal Technology Certificate. Since then, she has become one of those people who seems to know what needs to happen before anyone has to ask. 

Jess supports multiple TSD attorneys, works closely with Clients, helps keep cases moving, and trains new paralegals. Her years in Child Support Enforcement give her a particularly strong background in support issues, but what makes Jess so valuable goes well beyond what she knows about family law. 

She takes care of people. 

Clients notice her responsiveness, organization, and willingness to help. So does our Team. If someone needs an extra set of hands, Jess is usually one of the first people to volunteer hers. She brings the same empathy to Clients who are going through difficult situations, understanding that sometimes what they need most is someone who will listen, answer the question they actually asked, and help them understand what happens next. 

There are also the brownies. 

Jess makes brownies for Team birthdays, and they have become enough of an office institution that failing to mention them here would probably cause an internal revolt. Apparently, supporting the Team comes in both legal and chocolate forms. 

Jess grew up on Long Island but graduated from NC State, and there is absolutely no ambiguity about where her college allegiance lies. She is also a Carolina Hurricanes fan and spends plenty of time watching her son play hockey, so apparently choosing a sport where people willingly get slammed into boards is a family tradition. 

At home, Jess and her son share their lives with their rescue dogs. Jess has a particular soft spot for rescue pups, which feels pretty consistent for someone whose first instinct, whether at work or at home, is usually to help.