Meet Daphne Benford-Smith

After graduating from high school I went on to the University of North Texas where I received a Top 10 speaker award for the Texas Undergraduate Moot Court Competition, a competition that simulates a lawyer arguing before an appellate bench (such as the Supreme Court). I was also on the University Council, Vice-President of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law, and apart of a group of selected students allowed to aid the Dallas Public Defender’s Office. After graduating from UNT, I went on to Thurgood Marshall School of Law and had some rewarding internships and was Executive Editor of the Law Journal.

This journey has been truly rewarding so far and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. To be able to do what I love and what I’ve always dreamed of doing, is a feeling that supersedes the monetary benefits that may come with it. This is only the beginning and I’ve accomplished some great things and learned a lot as an attorney so far.

Has it been a smooth road?
I have been tremendously blessed to get to where I am, but the “road to Esquire” was not an easy one for me. I was officially diagnosed with depression in 2016 and given anti-depressants shortly thereafter. Due to this, I was unable to perform my legal internship at the time and was fired due to my inability to perform. In January of 2017, I had stopped taking my medicine and had attempted suicide, but thankfully was stopped by my family and close friends. At that time, I had believed the lies of me not having a meaningful and purposeful future because I didn’t believe I met my own warped standard of perfection.

I began to prioritize my mental health and putting myself first. I went to therapy and learned healthier thought patterns, and even received assistance from the Texas Lawyers Assistance Program (or TLAP) that aids in law students and lawyers alike becoming their mentally healthy best selves. I became big on prayer and affirmations and all of this paid off!

In the fall of 2017, at the beginning of my third and last year of law school, I landed a prestigious clerkship with The Honorable Judge Elaine Hubbard-Palmer of the 215th District Court. I performed really well during that internship and finished my last year with improved grades and overall better outlook in life.

Things were so good in fact that after the rigors and stresses of bar study summer, I was completely taken off of my anti-depressants and was no longer suicidal. Although there was immense pressure to pass the bar exam to become a licensed attorney, I meditated and said positive affirmations daily of “I’ve already passed the bar” and other affirmations to build my confidence and overall mental state. Well in October of 2018, I received the news that I had passed the bar the first time and a few months later I received my job as a Family Law associate attorney at Merchant Law Firm. Since joining the firm, I have helped settle over 30 cases through mediation as opposed to litigation or trial. I’ve also had several trials handling highly contested divorces and/or custody matters. During this time, I’ve also had the opportunity to debunk myths concerning father’s rights in custody battles. I’ve even been blessed to receive two raises and my first year workaversary is on February 26, 2020. All of this has been done within my first year! Our clients have praised me for my ability to resonate with them not only on their cases but their mental states during these emotional times. I also draw on my personal experience of dealing with my own parents’ divorce to connect with our clients and explain how divorces and custody matters can affect the children involved.

We’d love to hear more about the business.
I work for Merchant Law Firm, where it is only two of us attorneys and three assistants/paralegals. We primarily practice family law and we are known for really connecting with our clients on a personal level. I draw on my personal experience with family law, my parent’s divorce, to connect with my clients and resonate with them. One of the things my clients have said they truly love about me is that I also give them affirmations and help them with their mental state as well. I truly invest in my client’s needs for their case and their mental/emotional state during these difficult cases. I’m honest with them but at the same time I meet them where they are and give them my best efforts at all times. They can tell that I truly care for their well-being and that I’m not practicing family law for the sole purpose of getting a check.