Rachel Murphy, a successful lawyer determined to make partner at her firm, represents her husband Carter’s tech compan in a lawsuit against his former partner while balancing her own intense work load and professional pressures. Their marriage is put to the test when Carter unexpectedly serves Rachel divorce papers, accusing her of prioritizing her career over their relationship, and the two begin a contentious legal separation while still working together professionally.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

A successful attorney on the verge of making partner is forced by her prenup to represent her own husband in their divorce, sparking a scandal that threatens her career.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Romantic Comedy-Drama

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Divorce is a very relatable topic for many people. This movie asks, “How do you know if a marriage is beyond repair? When does reconciliation deserve a chance?”

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Relevant. Heartfelt.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

The Princess Bride (Sterling), Pride and Prejudice (Katrina)

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

Nearly four years.

7. How many stories have you written?

This is our first complete story written together. Sterling has written a few others, but this is the first feature for both of us.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

Katrina is a divorce attorney. Sterling spent seven years editing unscripted television. Before we got married, when we were discussing our own prenup, things got a little strained. To break the tension, Sterling joked, “If we ever do get divorced, will you represent me?” We both laughed, and almost immediately we knew that we had a good premise for a story. We decided to write the screenplay as a fun couple’s activity – combining Katrina’s legal background with Sterling’s filmmaking chops.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Time. When you’ve been working on something for so long, it’s easy to get tired/bored and want to move on to something new. Sterling is really good at doing just a little bit each day.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Katrina is actively working as a divorce and custody attorney. She loves to knit, sew, and spend time with friends and family. Sterling likes to draw, exorcise, and teaches a free, neighborhood karate class.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

We wanted to enter a festival that was specific to the genre of our screenplay. Finding a romance-specific screenplay festival seemed like the perfect fit for Love, Your Lawyer. We actually ended up with two rounds of feedback. The first one wasn’t very good, and it appeared that the reader didn’t understand English very well since they couldn’t tell what game was being played in the Poker Scene. To your festival’s credit, when we complained, they set us up with a different reader, free of charge, who was very helpful and gave us a winning evaluation. We even added a scene based on the notes we got back from the second reader.