Liars. Cheats. Thieves. All that and more is what lawyers have been called over the years. And occasionally, they're life-givers too. Nathalie Desjardins is a a wife, a lawyer, and yes, even a life-giver.

She has given life to three children—and to many adults, if considers all the hundreds of lives she has saved from possible calamity over the course of her legal career.

What makes her tick? What makes her believe that she is making a difference? What makes her view the world in such a way that she finds honour in one of the most notorious professions.

“I wanted to be choose my own cases, and conduct each with all due professionalism,” she explains. “Moreover, I wanted to have a family and the flexibility to accommodate this desire.”

Desjardins had her first child in 1996, a couple of years after the launching of her practice. Only two weeks into motherhood, she went back to work. “I believe women should be financially independent. Imagine having to start over each time I had a baby. It would mean that I'd have to begin from scratch three times. That just didn't make sense to me. Luckily, my mother was enormously helpful and supported my decision and provided the practical help I needed to get back to work quickly.”

To this day, Desjardins has no regrets about starting her own practice. The very challenge of it propelled her forward; she wanted to effect change, and of course, she wanted to have room in her life for a family. Being a mother and an entrepreneur, she says, are not all that different. “One has to be able to be a leader, to be able to surround yourself with good people. To, in fact, have a good 'marriage' with one's assistants. The converging of these roles boils down to being able “to make the right decision at the right time.”

The marking obstacle, the great hurdle Desjardins had to overcome, may come as no surprise to other business owners. Like for so many entrepreneurs just starting out, the filing cabinets whose echoes resonate due to their emptiness, needed to be filled. And yet, with good faith and relentless work, she and associate, Carolina, filled them to capacity, one at a time. “It was all word of mouth,” she says. “It's the only way to make yourself known for the quality of work you do.”

As word got out that she did the job well, and saved a few lives in the process, the case files accumulated. Not a single advertisement was placed, not a single promotional effort—only the quality of representation had her clients talk. From one mouth to another, the news travelled: “She is one great lawyer. You may have made a mess, but messes don't scare her. She is a mother. And a killer lawyer.”

Today, with over 1000 Family Law cases to her credit, she rejoices in the fact that she has helped many and maintains relationships with her clients long after their need of her services expires. Her clients join the weave of her life, she says, and she continues relationships for years. “Many call us periodically,” says Desjardins, “and tell us news of their life, their healing and growth."

Each case, she says, has a face...a story. “What counts for us is that we've made a difference in the lives of people. Regardless of whether you're a president of a company, a mother at home, an employee, when it comes to children, marriage, family, safety, we are all emotional and vulnerable. People trust us with that which is most precious in their lives. They trust us with the future and the safety of their children. They depend on us to ascertain their right to a relationship with their children. We feel privileged to be trusted and give back our very best effort. We meet people, often, at the worst time of their lives. When people receive a court order, they have to decide what to do quickly. And we are there; we pick them up during this most difficult time, and we go the route with them.”

Often, when one examines popularity surveys, lawyers are at the very bottom of the list. Desjardins says this is a misconception and a generalization. “I think that is not true. I have many lawyer colleagues who are not like that in any way. They are very human, sensitive to the plights of others. There are so many lawyers that will go to the ends of the earth to help their client— who give their absolute best.”

In the 14 years Desjardins has been in business for herself, she's learned one essential truth: to trust here instincts. The powerful inner voice that tells her when to accept or refuse a case, when to move forward or just pause, has been invaluable. “Every time,” she explains, “my gut tells me not to embark on a particular assignment, I almost always listen. Those few times I did not, I lived to regret it. Trust your instinct. Mine has always proven right.” Be it in mothering or lawyering, instinct is indispensable.