Sara Marler • Trauma-Informed Lawyer

Sara Marler • Trauma-Informed Lawyer I am a compassionate advocate, having been the voice of children, victims of abuse, and people that are simply trying to hold on to what’s most dear to them.

A respected attorney once told me that “caring makes this job hard, but caring is what makes you good at what you do.” I've remembered those words over the years. I'm the Managing Partner of Marler Law Partners, where we are advocating for a trauma-informed approach to family law. I attended law school in Boston and returned to Missouri after attending New England University Law School, where I gr

aduated cm laude and finished in the top 10% of my class. When not practicing law, I can be found trying to keep up with my two daughters or chasing after my three dogs.

Twenty-five minutes into a consultation with a potential divorce client, she still hadn't brought up cost. So I did.I lo...
08/24/2026

Twenty-five minutes into a consultation with a potential divorce client, she still hadn't brought up cost. So I did.

I looked at her and said, "You haven't asked me how much this is going to cost."

She was right not to push it - but I needed her to have that information. So I laid it out, and I was honest about what I couldn't tell her.

I couldn't give her a final number.
I couldn't predict the outcome. In almost any other industry, that would be a dealbreaker.

In family law, that's just the reality, and she deserved to hear it before she signed anything.

I walked her through every factor that actually drives cost in a case like hers: how her husband might behave, which attorney he hires, whether we need experts, whether it goes to trial. None of those are in her control or mine. But understanding them meant she could make a real decision about moving forward.

Most lawyers avoid this conversation. The fear is that talking about money and uncertainty too early will cost you the client.

After more than a decade running law firms, I've seen what happens when you skip it. It disrupts the case, strains the relationship, and sometimes forces a withdrawal at the worst possible moment, for the client and the firm.

When someone's life is already full of uncertainty, the least I can do is make this one decision a clear hell yes or a no.

That's what an honest consultation looks like.

Follow to watch me build the anti-law firm law firm.
📲 marlerlawpartners.com

Trauma-informed lawyering looks different from the outside. Some of it is big, like having a Licensed Clinical Social Wo...
08/20/2026

Trauma-informed lawyering looks different from the outside.

Some of it is big, like having a Licensed Clinical Social Worker on our team. Some of it is small, like always seating clients so they can see the door, or offering ice water in real glass cups because cold is grounding when your nervous system is running hot, or having seating options in different sizes so every body feels comfortable walking in.

All of it comes from the same place. Trauma changes the way people communicate. It affects how they recall details, how they process information, how they show up in a room.

Most legal systems weren't built with that in mind, even though clients are walking through our doors during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

At Marler Law Partners, every person who comes in is treated as a whole person. Not a file. Not a case number. A person who deserves to feel safe enough to think clearly and make good decisions for themselves and their families.

That's what this firm is built around.

Follow along to watch me build my anti-law firm law firm.
📲 marlerlawpartners.com

08/18/2026

Some clients get told they're too much. They call too often, they need more explanation, they're scared and it shows up as a lot of questions and a lot of emails.

Other lawyers refer those clients to us.

We built this firm around high need, high touch clients because that's exactly who needs this kind of support most. Someone in the middle of a custody battle or a difficult divorce isn't being dramatic when they need more from their attorney. They're in crisis. Their nervous system is running the show and good legal decisions are hard to make from that place.

A big part of what we do is practical support and real guidance to help clients get into a window of tolerance, a regulated enough state where they can actually think clearly, weigh their options, and make decisions they'll stand behind later.

That's not hand-holding as an insult. That's good lawyering.

This service isn't for everyone and everyone isn't for us. But if you've ever felt like too much for the people who were supposed to be in your corner, you haven't found the right firm yet.

Follow along to watch me build my anti-law firm law firm.

08/17/2026

My first time in a courtroom, I was terrified. Law school doesn't fully prepare you for the moment you're actually standing there. But I did it scared, and once I got going, it turned out to be fun.

That became a mentality I carried forward: do it scared.

It doesn't mean it always goes well. A lot of times it does and the fear was bigger than the actual thing. But sometimes it doesn't, and that's where the second part matters just as much.

Knowing when to pull the plug on something that isn't working is its own skill. Pushing through just because you committed to something isn't smart, it's stubborn. Recognizing when to stop and change course takes just as much courage as starting.

Do it scared. Pay attention while you're doing it. And be smart enough to know the difference between fear and a genuine sign to stop.

📲 marlerlawpartners.com

We’re honored to share that Marler Law Partners has been named Best Family Law Firm on the St. Louis A-List by St. Louis...
08/15/2026

We’re honored to share that Marler Law Partners has been named Best Family Law Firm on the St. Louis A-List by St. Louis Magazine!

Thank you to everyone who voted and to the clients who trusted us with their family’s most important moments.

We believe family law should be compassionate, inclusive, and centered on the people we serve. That means seeing the whole person, not just the case: your kids, your work, your health, your future on the other side of this. As a woman-owned, trauma-informed firm, we’re also proud to be a place where LGBTQIA+ individuals and families are represented with real understanding and respect.

Thank you, St. Louis 💜

08/03/2026

Menopause doesn’t end marriages. But it can end a woman’s willingness to keep the peace at her own expense.

We see this in our office more than people would guess. A woman in her late 40s or 50s sits down and says some version of the same thing: I have been managing everyone else’s feelings for twenty years, and I don’t have it in me anymore.

That is not hormones making her unreasonable. That is her saying out loud what she has been quietly carrying for a long time.

Sometimes that conversation saves a marriage. Sometimes it ends one. Either way, she deserves to be taken seriously, not diagnosed.

If you are in that season right now: you are not losing it. You may be clearer than you have been in years.

We practice family law differently here. Trauma-informed, with real support built into the process.

If you're in the middle of it right now with court dates, hard conversations, and nights where you're not sure you made ...
07/28/2026

If you're in the middle of it right now with court dates, hard conversations, and nights where you're not sure you made the right call... keep going.

The version of you on the other side of this is worth fighting for.

At Marler Law Partners, we see the whole person, not just the case.

We know that getting through something this hard takes more than good legal strategy. It takes courage, support, and someone who genuinely believes in where you're headed.

Keep going.

When a new client hires Marler Law Partners, their first meeting is not with their attorney.It is with our Client Specia...
07/27/2026

When a new client hires Marler Law Partners, their first meeting is not with their attorney.

It is with our Client Specialist who is a trauma-trained therapist, and our Client Relationship Manager.

First we walk you through how to access your client portal and, perhaps more importantly, how to actually read your bill. We want to ensure clients fully understand what they are being charged for and why.

Then we walk you through the roadmap for a family law case. What to expect, what the process looks like, and what support is available along the way. The number of light bulbs that go off in that conversation is something we never take for granted.

Family law is not just paperwork. It is one of the most personal, emotionally demanding experiences a person can go through. We built our intake process around that reality because we believe you deserve to feel informed and supported from the very first day, not just when you are sitting across from a judge.

That is what it means to us to be a trauma-informed, person-centered firm.

Visit marlerlawpartners.com to learn more about how we work.

Most people associate marital agreements with prenuptials, something you do before the wedding. But postnuptial agreemen...
07/24/2026

Most people associate marital agreements with prenuptials, something you do before the wedding. But postnuptial agreements are becoming a much more common conversation, and for good reason.

A postnuptial agreement is a legal contract created after marriage that outlines how assets, debts, and financial responsibilities would be handled if the marriage were to end. Couples consider them for all kinds of reasons. A significant change in income, a new business, an inheritance, a period of financial strain, or simply a desire for more clarity and transparency between partners.

What makes a postnuptial agreement valuable is not that it signals trouble in a marriage. For many couples, it actually does the opposite. Putting financial expectations in writing can reduce tension, open honest conversations, and give both people a clearer sense of where they stand.

In Missouri, these agreements can address property division, spousal support, and debt allocation in ways that go beyond what the court would decide by default. To be enforceable, they need to be drafted carefully, with full financial disclosure and voluntary agreement from both parties.

At Marler Law Partners, we help couples navigate these conversations with care and without judgment. If you are curious about whether a postnuptial agreement makes sense for your family, we are happy to talk it through.

Visit marlerlawpartners.com to schedule a consultation.

07/23/2026

My client wanted to settle. I wanted to go to trial. And I had to sit with that, because it wasn't my call to make.

A younger version of me might have pushed. Might have leaned on my professional opinion hard enough that she felt like she didn't really have a choice. I've seen it happen. It's not malicious. Lawyers genuinely believe they know what's best. But that's not the same as what's right for the person sitting across from you.

So instead, Brittany sat with us and walked her through every possible scenario. Not just the legal outcomes but the emotional ones too. What each path actually meant for her life, her kids, her peace of mind. We kept asking "are you sure?" until she could answer it from a place of clarity, not fear.

She settled. I still think about it. But I know she made that decision for herself, fully informed, with someone in her corner who wasn't trying to steer her anywhere.

Clients come to us carrying a lot of emotion. Most lawyers want that out of the room. We pull up a chair for it.

That's the difference.

Follow along to see what client-centered family law actually looks like.

Address

123 Main St.
St. Louis, MO
63136

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sara Marler • Trauma-Informed Lawyer posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category