Attorney-Mom Works Toward Life Balance
BY PAUL NATINSKY
Like many modern moms, Krystal Dickow Hermiz is covering a lot of ground and working hard to balance her family life and work life.
A partner in the law firm Secrest Wardle since 2014 and an attorney there since 2007, Hermiz specializes in insurance defense litigation. She is also, with the help of her husband, Jeffery, raising three children under age 9.
“We only have one life and it’s flying by. It’s so important to spend that irreplaceable time doing the things you love. For me, that’s being with my family and being with my children,” said Hermiz.
Matthew, 9, Lauren, 6, and Ava, 3, are in school now, so the logistics have gotten a bit easier for Krystal, 38, and Jeffery, 39. Both Hermiz’s have some flexibility in their schedules. Although, Krystal works from her Troy office, she is still able to attend her children's activities, school and sports transportation. Jeffery, who works in real estate and as an energy consultant, has a fluid schedule that allows him help with rides and other responsibilities.
“A significant contribution to my success in balancing the work/life balance has been our two mothers. They were a significant help during early years of our kids growing up. They sort of split the week and babysat the kids during the day,” said Hermiz.
Her work is important to her and she is productive when there, but always a mother first. Personal matters are a priority and everything works around family.
Careful planning helps her keep everything together. She enters school events into her calendar as though they were court appearances, meeting or depositions.
She meets her kids at the school bus and said she is “in mom mode from 5 to 9.” When the children are asleep, it’s her time to use remote access and complete her legal work for the day.
“My husband is an incredible partner who helps me so much with the kids,” Hermiz said of Jeffery. They work as a team in the morning making lunches and breakfasts and split up rides to school and from the bus. Matthew plays hockey three times a week and participates in several travel tournaments during the course of the year. Both girls are actively involved in swim and dance.
“There wouldn’t be a way I could be a professional and handle my extremely stressful day job if I didn’t have (Jeffery) as a teammate.”
The grandmas are not needed for daycare anymore as the kids are in school, and the Hermiz’s don’t use outside help. Krystal often mixes in chores such as laundry and dishes with her legal work after the kids go to bed. She said that is her window to do daily household chores that stay-at-home moms do during the day.
In 2018, Hermiz turned her Instagram page into a blog page and renamed it Michigan.mom. It began as an advice page containing everything from recipes to do-it-yourself project help. Increasingly, Hermiz found herself sharing experiences from local businesses, engaging in a sort of informal and, at first, unintentional marketing campaign for small businesses. Today, she has about 8,500 followers , mostly from Oakland County, and updates the page daily.
Hermiz is at a point in her career where facetime and in-person mentoring with younger attorneys are important aspects of her job. She remains in touch with her mentor, Judge Diane Dickow D’Agostini.
Life paths for women are also changing in the Chaldean Community. In the past, many Hermiz’s close friends and relatives would quit their jobs and stay home once they had children—a choice she said she respects. However, an increasing number of women are choosing to take on the work/life balance that a career and children brings.
Despite spending considerable time and energy maintaining her life balance, Hermiz said she doesn’t think she’ll ever “conquer” it. She said the challenge will continue as long as her children are at home and need her.