Winning Legal Battles and Coaching Endurance Athletes With Christopher Wehrman
Christopher Wehrman is a Partner and Attorney at Katz, Goldstein & Warren, a matrimonial and family law firm based in Illinois. Since 2014, Chris has focused on family law matters and previously represented medical professionals in negligence cases. Although he primarily specializes in litigation, he has also undergone the Divorce Mediation Skills Training at Northwestern University. He employs this skill set to resolve issues without going to court when appropriate. Chris brings an athlete’s discipline and resilience from his Big Ten athletic background and experience training for the Olympic Trials. Beyond the courtroom, Chris contributes to the running community as the Chicago Area Runners Association President and as a dedicated running coach.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [1:41] What inspired Christopher Wehrman to become an attorney?
- [2:41] Chris’ journey from law school to partner at Katz, Goldstein & Warren
- [4:41] How athletic discipline shapes legal strategies and client relationships
- [7:03] The unique and rewarding facets of specializing in family law
- [8:03] Common misconceptions about family law
- [9:07] Effective strategies for resolving issues outside the courtroom
- [11:17] How to be an effective and respected litigator in family law cases
- [16:06] Chris’ advice for aspiring lawyers
In this episode…
Facing a legal battle can feel overwhelming, especially when emotions are running high and the stakes are personal. How can an attorney balance empathy with honesty while guiding clients toward the best possible outcome? And what can the discipline of endurance running teach us about the practice of law?
According to Christopher Wehrman, a seasoned family law attorney and endurance running coach, it all comes down to maintaining open, transparent communication and building trust through a team-based approach. He emphasizes that clients need to hear the hard truths to effectively navigate the legal system, even when it’s not what they want to hear. Drawing from his background as a competitive athlete, Chris highlights how discipline, strategy, and collaboration can shape success on both the court and the track. This mindset takes resilience and adaptability as you help clients and athletes maximize their potential.
In this episode of 15 Minutes, host Chad Franzen sits down with Christopher Wehrman, Partner and Attorney at Katz, Goldstein & Warren, to discuss how his competitive drive shapes his approach to family law. He talks about maintaining transparency with clients during trying times, developing strategies for resolving disputes outside of litigation, and the impact of technology on the legal process. Chris also shares his advice on training endurance athletes to achieve peak performance.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Chad Franzen on LinkedIn
- Gladiator Law Marketing
- Christopher Wehrman on LinkedIn
- Katz, Goldstein & Warren: Website | Contact no.: 8473179500
Special Mentions
Quotable Moments
- “It was full speed ahead. I’ve never wavered in that desire.”
- “I’m very competitive, so I don’t like losing in court.”
- “Not winning one particular issue may lead to other opportunities later on.”
- “If you really want to maximize your success, you have to have a plan that works well for your lifestyle and your goals and stick to it.”
- “I would rather tell my clients what they need to hear in an appropriate way than just be a yes man.”
Action Steps
- Adopt a team approach in your workplace: Emphasize the importance of collaboration and communication because this encourages collective problem-solving and diverse perspectives, enhancing employee morale and solutions.
- Engage in cross-training or alternative exercises outside your primary sport or activity for better overall conditioning: It helps prevent injury and enhances performance.
- Pursue continued education in your field with platforms for mediation skills training: This commitment to learning will enhance your expertise and adaptability in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
- Embrace technology to improve efficiency: Technology can streamline processes and reduce costs, leading to better results.
- Maintain honesty and integrity in professional interactions, as these qualities build credibility and trust in the long run: Chris Wehrman’s reputation as an honest litigator underscores how upholding these values can forge a successful career.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Gladiator Law Marketing, where we deliver tailor-made services to help you accomplish your objectives and maximize your growth potential.
To have a successful marketing campaign and make sure you’re getting the best ROI, your firm needs to have a better website and better content. At Gladiator Law Marketing, we use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and decades of experience to outperform the competition.
To learn more, go to gladiatorlawmarketing.com or schedule a free marketing consultation. You can also send an email to ad**@gl*******************.com .
Episode Transcript
Intro 0:01
You’re listening to 15 Minutes where we feature community leaders sharing what the rest of us should know but likely don’t.
Chad Franzen 0:12
Hi. Chad Franzen here, one of the hosts of Share Your Voice, where we talk with top notch law firms and lawyers about what it takes to grow a successful law practice. This episode is brought to you by Gladiator Law Marketing, delivering tailor made services to help you accomplish your objectives and maximize your growth potential to have a successful marketing campaign and make sure you’re getting the best ROI your firm needs to have a better website and better content. Gladiator Law Marketing uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and decades of experience to outperform the competition to learn more, go to gladiatorlawmarketing.com, where you can schedule a free marketing consultation. My guest today is Chris Wehrman, Partner at Katz, Goldstein & Warren, specializing exclusively in family law since 2014. After representing medical professionals and businesses in negligence cases, he employs a team approach, advocating for and educating clients throughout litigation with divorce mediation skills training from Northwestern University. Chris resolves issues outside of court when feasible. As a former Big 10 athlete and Olympic Trials qualifier, he brings discipline and resilience to his legal practice beyond law, he’s deeply involved in running, serving as president of the Chicago Area Runners Association and coaching endurance running based in Chicago. Chris holds memberships in several bar associations and earned his degrees from Michigan State University. Chris, great to have you today. How are you?
Christopher Wehrman 1:34
I’m doing well. Thank you very much, Chad.
Chad Franzen 1:36
Hey, tell me when, how and when did you know you wanted to become an attorney.
Christopher Wehrman 1:41
I knew I wanted to be an attorney when I was 10 years old, I had my first job mowing lawns in the neighborhood, and one of my clients was a lawyer, and he was always dressed well. He always felt and seemed very professional. And I looked up to him in part because he gave me my first job mowing lawns, and decided that that’s somebody that I wanted to emulate, and that that started my journey.
Chad Franzen 2:07
Wow, that’s that’s so you never changed your mind after that, that experience at 10.
Christopher Wehrman 2:12
I did not. It was from 10 through law school. It was full speed ahead. I’ve never wavered in that desire. Sometimes, perhaps, now that I’m practicing, I wonder what else could have been, but generally speaking, I’m pleased with where I’m at and what I’m doing and have no regrets.
Chad Franzen 2:31
So kind of take us through your professional journey after receiving your law degree and working your way up to, you know, the firm you’re at now.
Christopher Wehrman 2:41
Yeah, I took an interesting journey, because I went to Michigan State for undergrad and for law school, and I was a big 10 athlete there, so I continued my law school education and continued to train with my team and my coach, and then moved to Chicago, which is where my wife was attending law school and did not have a lot of contact, so that was an interesting transition, but I was able to to get a job in the insurance defendant industry with the belief that the best way to practice law was to be in front of juries, and That was something that I had looked forward to, but after the economic downturn in 2007 and reevaluating my career and trying to decide if things don’t go well, what do I need to do to support myself and my family, I decided to transition into family law, and after doing some pro bono work, transitioned into a firm that had a family law practice. Started doing family law I never looked back.
Chad Franzen 3:48
How did how did it go, doing athletics, Division One athletics and law school at the same time?
Christopher Wehrman 3:54
Because I had been in athletics in high school, in college, that transition to law school was not difficult. I was very disciplined in my training, and therefore had to be very disciplined in my education, and was very focused on achieving goals of whether it was the Olympic trials and running or, of course, passing the bar and getting a job in law is just part of what I had to do on a on an everyday basis. So doing both now is pretty amazing as I look back, but at the time, there was no other option. I mean, that’s just what I had to do.
Chad Franzen 4:31
Yeah, wow, incredible. So how has kind of your um background as an athlete influence influenced your professional approach or to or your approach to legal practice?
Christopher Wehrman 4:41
Well, in a couple of ways, first, I’m very competitive, and so I don’t like to lose in court. I don’t like to lose in my personal life, but at the same time, I recognize that it’s not all win or lose, and you have to appreciate. Steps as part of the journey. Perhaps, for example, in court, there may be an issue that I don’t win, and it’s frustrating, but not winning one particular issue may lead to other opportunities later on, as an athlete, I played basketball, didn’t make the basketball team, so I started running in high school and ended up becoming a collegiate athlete never expected it. Similarly, in the practice of law, if you’re not going to win every single battle, and losing some battles may still lead to winning the war, and ultimately, that’s what the goal is. So just that ability to be creative and flexible and recognizing that not achieving one particular goal is not the end of a case has been very helpful as they relate athletics to the practice of law.
Chad Franzen 5:47
Did you know you were, I guess, do you have to be fast to be a good distance runner? Did you know you had that skill when you were trying out for the basketball team?
Christopher Wehrman 5:55
I had no idea I didn’t enjoy running. I think, like most athletes that are participating in athletics when you are unless you’re a runner, running was the punishment for not listening to your coach, not doing what you’re supposed to be doing. And then I joined a sport that I didn’t expect I would enjoy so much, but a lot of it was the competition, and one of the things I liked about running, which translates to law, is that I had the ability to affect the outcome. If I chose to train hard and follow my coach and communicate with my coach and come up with a strategy, then that would increase the likelihood of a good outcome. That’s no different in law, especially when I’m working with my clients. If we work together, we communicate, we strategize. Sometimes the strategies were great, sometimes they don’t, but if we’re working cooperatively and collectively, then we can together affect an outcome, or at least try to maximize the outcome. So those two really work hand in hand.
Chad Franzen 6:55
So having focused exclusively on family law for about a decade now, what do you enjoy most about that?
Christopher Wehrman 7:03
It sounds a little bit cliche, but I really do like helping people. It’s a very difficult time in people’s lives. Usually, you have good people going through probably the hardest time of their life, dealing on with financial issues and parenting issues, uncertainty about the future, perhaps, dealing with allegations that may or may not be true, and trying to navigate the legal system can can be very scary, and I really do enjoy trying to help people come out on the other end, in a better place, personally, professionally, As a parent or as a spouse or as a child, in whatever way it is that they’re coming out of this really trying to maximize the outcome for them so that they can then move forward with their life.
Chad Franzen 7:52
Are there any misconceptions or maybe things that people are naive to when it comes to family law, when they first kind of get, for lack of a better word, involved having to be involved in it.
Christopher Wehrman 8:03
Yes, a lot of clients, and I think this is true, probably for lots of different practices, is they think that if they don’t participate, that think bad things won’t necessarily happen to them, and a lot of it is just the lack of experience and education that they have with the legal process, and they hope that the judges will just let things slide if they don’t participate. But really, it is important to participate, and it is important to have an advisor, a legal advisor, that can help clients do the process. And our roles can be different. Our roles could be as a litigator, being in court, our roles could be behind the scenes and providing some advice. But you know, it can be a very complicated situation in both the financial and parenting issues, and if you don’t have somebody that you can rely on that knows the system, then it can cause significant detrimental outcomes for you in the future.
Chad Franzen 9:02
Are there kind of particular strategies that you utilize for resolving issues outside of litigation?
Christopher Wehrman 9:07
Yeah, and that’s one of the things that is different and that I really like about family laws. There’s not one way to do it. In my prior practice, someone would get hurt, they would file a complaint. There would be written discovery, oral discovery, expert discovery, then you prepare for trial. In family law, there is no one right way to do it. I’ve had cases where the parties have come to an agreement, and one of them have hired me to prepare their agreements and present it to the court. I’ve had cases where before anything was filed, we were able to settle the whole case with other attorneys. We’ve had cases where we’ve had to file a case, and it’s been very litigious, and then we were able to settle it. We’ve had cases, of course, that have gone all the way to trial. So there’s not just one way to do it, and I think it’s very important for clients to understand and communicate with their attorneys to come up with what the best solution might be for them, depending on their own dynamic. Financially and the dynamic that they have with their spouse.
Chad Franzen 10:03
I’ve spoken to other family attorneys who they consider like trial to be kind of like the last resort. Would you say that that’s your kind of approach, or do you feel differently?
Christopher Wehrman 10:15
I think that it is important to be prepared to go to trial and to understand that that’s the way that the case should usually be set up, so that you’re not caught off guard, with the hope always that you’re able to come to some sort of resolution. But there are just simply times when the parties do not agree for all kinds of reasons, and the only way to come to resolution is to be before the judge, present your evidence and have a judge make a decision. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes parties positions are so in opposite that you just need to have a judge which that’s their job to make decisions. And I tell my clients that you shouldn’t necessarily give in and feel like you have to settle only because the perception of going to trial is some sort of a failure. Sometimes it’s necessary, but you always have to look for other avenues for resolution because they are available for most cases.
Chad Franzen 11:12
What would you say makes you an effective litigator when you do have to go to trial?
Christopher Wehrman 11:17
I believe that I have a very good reputation with the court staff and the judges. I have worked very hard, as have all the members of my firm, to be educated, hardworking, diligent, and most importantly, at least in the eyes of the court, honest. And if you have a when at all costs approach as an attorney, then that can affect your reputation, and if your reputation is affected in the eyes of the court, then you may or may not get some of those close calls when you’re before before a judge. And so I I believe that I’m a very effective litigator based on the conversations I’ve had with judges, based on my results in court, because I fight hard for my clients, but I’m very honest when they when it comes to being in front of a judge.
Chad Franzen 12:08
In terms of, you know, dealing with clients who are, in as you mentioned, probably the most difficult time of their lives, one of the most difficult times of their lives. Maybe all are experiencing a range of emotions, often stress or anxious or negative or something. How do you kind of maintain a sense of transparency and honesty with them while not totally demoralizing them?
Christopher Wehrman 12:30
It’s a challenge. It is. It is hard. And I think that that’s what separates certain attorneys from others, is being able to look in a client in the eye as their attorney, and say, I know you want me to say yes, that you are right, but as your lawyer and as your counselor, it is my obligation to tell you that you are either going down the wrong path, or you are taking something too personally, or you are just making some bad decisions. As lawyers, we don’t want to lose clients, but I believe that by representing my clients the right way, they will send me more clients. And that’s the way that I and most other attorneys build a practice, is that we get referrals from our clients. And so I would rather tell my clients what they need to hear in an appropriate way than just be a yes man and hope that they’re happy, because I think that they’ll not get the outcome that they’re hoping for.
Chad Franzen 13:24
In the long do you take the same honest approach to coaching running and endurance sports?
Christopher Wehrman 13:32
I do. I do because at the end of the day, we have to look ourselves in the mirror and have honest assessments. And as a coach and as a lawyer, it’s important for you to be able to give that honest feedback to your clients, otherwise, they’re not going to be successful. You know, anybody can, can get partway by having everybody tell them what they want to hear. But if you really want to maximize your success, you have to have a team approach, and you have to sometimes hear that constructive criticism that will motivate us to do better, and sometimes just shift gears and do things in a way that will help us succeed.
Chad Franzen 14:04
What do you enjoy most about coaching? Endurance running?
Christopher Wehrman 14:08
I love watching my athletes bask in the glory of their success. I can help my athletes get to a better place, but I can’t do it for them, and when they’re able to achieve goals that they set out for themselves, or even surpass the goals that they set out for themselves, the joy that they feel is something that not only I remember from when I was a younger athlete with with some success, but something that I can kind of live vicariously through them, and it’s really enjoyable to see people succeed.
Chad Franzen 14:44
So when you so when you coach running, are you coaching? Are you What’s your main approach? Are you teaching them techniques of how to run faster, or are you just helping them with endurance, motivating them? What’s the key to that? You know, I was like the slowest guy on the football team, but. Then I did distance running, and I was, you know, pretty decent, not not an Olympic qualifier or anything, but pretty decent. What’s kind of your approach?
Christopher Wehrman 15:07
It really depends on the athlete. You know, I don’t focus as much on form, but as motivation. And so it’s a combination of trying to come up with a a training schedule that works well for their background, their history, their injuries, their desire, their goals, and then motivating them to be able to follow through with it. And then, of course, as we progress, whether you are a two hour 30 minute marathoner or six and a half hour seven hour marathoner in particular, or half marathon or et cetera, is then coming up with strategies, not only during the training session and training season, but also during the race itself, to maximize the outcome. And that’s no different, really, than practicing law and preparing your clients to be on the stand or talk to evaluators or otherwise just be prepared for what’s next.
Chad Franzen 16:00
How do you approach mentorship and guidance for maybe Junior attorneys at your law firm?
Christopher Wehrman 16:06
Team approach is the same way. I mean, as you can probably hear, whether it’s working with clients coaching athletes or working with younger attorneys that communication is very, very important. Without communication and being on an island, we don’t know what we don’t know, and we can’t also impart our knowledge as what we do know to those that don’t have it. And so that the collaborative approach is very important, communication is key.
Chad Franzen 16:34
Has there been a particularly memorable case in your legal career so far?
Christopher Wehrman 16:40
Yes, there has, and I won’t go into too much detail, but in this particular case, after the divorce was finalized, I ended up testifying in federal court on behalf of the government against one of the litigants, and it was a very surreal feeling to be sitting in the federal courthouse on the stand being questioned by prosecutors and one of the litigants themselves, and it was it gave me an interesting perspective, not only in terms of when I’m representing people, but what it’s like to then be on the other side, where I’m on the witness stand and I’m talking to a judge, and being able to then use that to help my clients as they prepare for what can be a very challenging endeavor.
Chad Franzen 17:27
In terms of technology, what role do you think that plays in the future of family law practice?
Christopher Wehrman 17:33
Well, the pandemic has certainly changed things a lot for for all attorneys before the pandemic started, all of our discovery, almost all of our discovery, was in paper form. Our pleadings were in paper form. I would draft something, make marks on it, have my assistant update it. We would always be in court, in person. And now we have hybrid court, where a lot of my court appearances are via zoom, which is much more efficient for our clients, and it keeps costs down, which is great. We do things electronically a lot more, which, of course, has environmental benefits, but also, I don’t have an office full of paper, and it’s easier to communicate with clients and and transfer documents back and forth. And so I think that the Zoom experience and the electronic experience for a while was expected to be short lived, but here we are, some four years later, and it’s been adopted by many courts and by many judges, and I think it is a useful tool that benefits everybody, and I certainly hope that it continues.
Chad Franzen 18:41
I have one more question for you, but first, tell me how people can find out more about Katz Goldstein and Warren and also about, you know, if they want to, if they need help with endurance running, how can people find out about both of those things?
Christopher Wehrman 18:53
Sure, Katz, Goldstein & Warren has a website. Our phone number also is 8473179500, they can call us there. I do most of my coaching through EDGE Athlete Lounge in Chicago. We have a fabulous set of coaches, not only for marathoners, but other runners, cyclists, triathletes and swimmers. We also have a strength program. And the people there are phenomenal. I really enjoy the community, which is why I continue to participate there. So at either those places, those those websites, are available for their information.
Chad Franzen 19:28
So if somebody came to you and they were kind of plugging their way through law school and they wanted some advice, what could you tell them that they would probably not learn in law school, but could only learn based based on your experience?
Christopher Wehrman 19:41
That is a phenomenal question. Law school, I would say, does not prepare people for the practice of law, and that reputation is so important. Oftentimes, attorneys coming out of law school, especially litigation. Want to show everybody how great they are, and maybe a bit overly aggressive, and it’s really important to be humble, because if you are then you can start to develop relationships very early with senior attorneys, even opposing counsels, as well as the staff at the courthouse and the judges. And as you develop those relationships, and you build credibility that that will lead you much farther than simply knowing what’s in a book.
Chad Franzen 20:27
Okay, okay, one more question for you, involving running. Let’s say somebody is a pretty avid runner. You know that it’s the way they keep their they stay in shape. They go out for a nice run several times a week. What could you tell Is there any advice you could give to them to kind of take their their game to a little bit higher level?
Christopher Wehrman 20:48
Two things. One, cross training is very important. It helps, obviously, minimize injury, because you’re reducing your pounding a little bit, but also strengthening other muscles that you may not use as a runner, certainly as a runner, we do very literal lateral movement, for example, so balance and other things can be a bit weakened. And then the other thing is consistency, I think, with anything in life, if you only do it part time, you’re not going to be successful as if you do it regularly. And that doesn’t necessarily mean running every day, but really having a plan that works well for your lifestyle and your goals and sticking to it, and that’s the way that you’re going to make positive progress.
Chad Franzen 21:30
Okay, Hey, Chris, it’s been great to talk to you. Thanks so much for your time and all of your insights on both family law and on running. Really appreciate it.
Christopher Wehrman 21:39
Thank you, Chad. I appreciate it as well.
Chad Franzen 21:39
So long everybody.
Outro 21:44
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