Tabatha Bell discovered she had a passion for law when her husband sought to adopt her son. The accounting, supply chain, and sourcing manager, who had never really been involved in the legal system, decided to make a career change.
It all started in 2022, when she and her husband decided to take the next step for their family.
“My husband and I have been together for a decade, and we decided to pursue stepparent adoption. So, he adopted my son, and we were pro se, which meant we handled everything on our own,” Bell said.
It was often overwhelming, Bell said, because the process itself was challenging and, because the adoption took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was virtual – and slower than normal.
It was a year before the Bell family came together to sign the final paperwork, doing so in the kitchen of their home after her son, Aidan, arrived home from school.
“I remember we were sitting there, and I got the papers, and we read through it. And it was a feeling of relief and happiness that all the struggles and work that had been done was finalized, and we were able to change my last name and have everything done,” Aidan Bell said.
A NEW PERSPECTIVE
The trial opened Bell’s eyes to the world of family law and the people and processes involved in it. She says that being able to support her son through the process was one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience.
While she enjoyed her current career, she was inspired and saw a new way she could impact the lives of other children and families.
“I always wanted to make a difference in the world, and I never knew how,” Bell said. “After going through the adoption trial and being my son's advocate, I found so much joy in my heart.”
The program gave her the knowledge and the skill set that she needs to work alongside an attorney to help make a difference in society.
“Family law is now where my heart is,” she said. “I started thinking about all those families out there who need some sort of assistance and to be able to work with an attorney.”
Initially, Bell thought that not having an advanced degree would pose a challenge in entering the paralegal field, but she soon learned that was not the case.
She researched USF’s Paralegal Certificate and was impressed by the program’s reputation, affordability, and flexibility.
“To me, an additional bonus is the specialty courses offered after you finish the paralegal program, where it hones in on certain areas, such as immigration law, litigation, and several other areas,” Bell said.
A CHANGE IN ROUTINE
While her classes required around 10-15 hours of work per week, one of the things Bell liked about the self-paced program was the fact that the online format meant she didn’t have to sacrifice family time or battle traffic to be in class at a specific hour. She found that settling into a work-study-parent routine required a bit of a transition. Soon, though, the family adjusted to a new routine, and she was able to find a balance.
“I really liked the flexibility,” she said. “There are no specific due dates, which can be great, but that's where you have to have self-discipline.”
The Paralegal Certificate covers legal processes, court structure, investigation, correspondence, civil procedure, and other industry-specific subjects.
“The structure of the program is phenomenal,” she said. With a clear syllabus that outlined the suggested timelines for assignments, Bell was able to complete the program on schedule and is now prepared to take the legal world by storm.
To supplement what she learned in her classes, Bell has also started working part-time for a family law attorney with strong industry expertise to get her foot in the door, gain hands-on experience in the field, and put her new skills to work while continuing her full-time job in sourcing.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Now that she has completed the certificate and gained the skills needed to be a successful paralegal professional, she’s ready to put her knowledge to use in the real world. Her goal is to become a full-time family law paralegal and ensure other families going through similar journeys achieve their desired outcomes.
Thanks to the Paralegal Certificate program, she feels ready to do just that. Bell is excited that she found a way to retool for her new-found calling without having to completely change her career or stop working.
Her educational pursuits have inspired her son to follow his own. He plans to pursue a marine biology degree once he graduates high school.
“I’m very proud of my mom, seeing that she enjoys what she does now. It was also a big dream of my mom to have the adoption go through. And I know her and my stepdad doing that on their own was a very big accomplishment for her.”