New Lawyer Dealing with Workplace Issues
Hello, this is kind of a complicated situation. I work in a very small firm with my dad (head lawyer) and another lawyer, his partner. We have two paralegals, an office manager and a scheduler/paralegal hybrid. It's family law.
My dad has been practicing for decades and he's a legitimate master at his craft. Everyone respects him and he's the mainstay in our community. I'm totally new, intimidated and feel pretty much worthless. He's my mentor and likes my work. (Not just because he's my dad, he really is brutal when I mess up) The clients really like me because I get back to them quickly and have a relatable, conversational style to me. I enjoy writing, researching and going to court.
The issue is the staff. They all tear into me when they get the chance. If I make an error or ask a question that is stupid to them, they have no problem letting me know it. I sit in the back office area and I know they just despise me. I know that they constantly gossip about me, my dad and the other partner. I feel like they roll their eyes at me.
Now I'm not perfect either. I had ADD for sure, but I get work done. I've been practicing for 7 months so far. My dad knows about the situation and said he's going to make changes. I'm just worried about the repercussions for me.
Right now I'm acting as my own paralegal and a lawyer. It's a bit overwhelming and I'm scared to ask questions about ministerial stuff because I'm going to get yelled at. "How do you not know this already?" "We went over this!" But I'm asking because I don't want to make mistakes that are bad for the firm.
Finally, it's not lost on me that I'm the boss's son. I do not speak down to anyone. I bend over backwards to be extra nice and respectful to everyone. I've never even raised my voice to the staff when I know they've screwed up. As a result they walk all over me and don't respect me at all. But I'm walking a tightrope trying to placate everyone. Because if I act differently, I'm sure they think I'm a spoiled brat.
I just wonder how to handle the situation. It's complicated by the fact that my dad is the boss. I know I'm in a losing position no matter what I do. It's just extra hard when you're a new lawyer and trying to learn. The office politics are getting exhausting. Especially when the back office is a mean girls clique.