The Classroom’s Robin Hood: How a Childhood Calling Became a Vocation

I remember even at a young age, whenever I was asked what I wanted to become, my answer was definite: a judge. In every setting—within the family, among friends, or during neighborhood games—I always strived for justice. My primary goal was to help the vulnerable and stand by those in need of protection.

During my school years, my homeroom teacher once called me in and remarked that I was acting like the classroom’s 'Robin Hood,' trying to help everyone when everyone ought to learn to help themselves. Nevertheless, that inner drive always stayed with me.

Choosing a career path turned out to be straightforward. Although I initially hesitated between medicine and law, I quickly realized that the legal path was undeniably my calling.

Even though I began focusing deeply on criminal law starting in my third year of university, I gradually realized it wasn't my field—even though law itself was always far more to me than just a job.

My specialization in family law happened almost by chance. There was a vacancy at the firm, and my mind was set on working specifically at Concern Dialog.

Together with Narine Beglaryan, I began diving into practice, and I have been in this field for six years now. Family law has become a part of who I am; I know all the gaps and challenges of the sector. Alongside with Narine, I have a chance to work in complex cases of international child abduction—cases that, incidentally, very few lawyers in Armenia undertake.

If family law had a color, for me it would be white, because family, above all, represents light and warmth.

Cold Law vs. Real Pain: Where Does Emotion End?

Working in family law means sitting across from people who share deeply personal, painful stories. In the beginning, maintaining boundaries was extremely difficult for me: in my first cases, I lived through my clients' pain right alongside them, constantly envisioned child visitation schedules in my head, and formed strong emotional attachments, especially to the children. Over time, however, experience and wisdom take over, and you realize that excessive emotion often hinders the case.

It is no coincidence that legal ethics place limits on taking on cases for relatives and close family, as high emotional involvement significantly increases the likelihood of professional mistakes.

On the other hand, being completely emotionless and detached is equally unacceptable. Emotions help establish rapport with the client. They need to feel that you genuinely see their pain and empathize with them, creating a zone of trust and comfort. I personally know almost all of my clients' children; sometimes, when we bump into each other on the street, we stop and chat. In this work, the greatest satisfaction comes not simply from winning in court, but from successfully securing the best interests of the child.

How explain to a 5-year-old in simple terms why rules are important in life?

Rules in life are important so that everyone stays safe, calm, and friendly, and so people don't fight, hurt, or upset each other. For example, on the playground, if there were no rule to take turns on the slide and all the children tried to go at once or without yielding, they would either argue or accidentally hurt one another. But when everyone waits in line, every child gets a turn to play, and nobody feels left out or sad. That is how rules work in life—they help people understand each other, avoid hurting one another, and live together peacefully and happily.

Mechanical Justice: When Rigid Articles Silence the Child’s Best Interest

Our legislation is quite flawed, which often leads judges to issue rulings mechanically—without deeply examining the best interests of the child. Although the Family Code specifies that courts have ex officio powers in child-related disputes—meaning they can order new expert assessments or gather new evidence independently of what the parties present—in practice, this is rarely done.

Of course, not all judges can be blamed; they face strict deadlines and immense caseloads, leaving them unable to dedicate sufficient time to fully uncover the child's best interests. The bottom line is the gap in legislation. Our legislation still does no provide enough tools for the court to secure the child’s best interests during the proceedings.

Legal "Recipes": A Complex Court Case Is Like a Culinary Masterpiece

Aside from law, one of my greatest passions is cooking. Building a solid court case and preparing a delicious meal are remarkably similar. The primary resemblance lies in the freedom to create: finding unique solutions, analyzing and blending the legal practices of various countries, and ultimately producing a high-quality procedural document that may even set a legal precedent. The process of creating something new is the most rewarding part.

I have my own lovely kitchen where I create, and I have a wonderful working environment. I have feel full support from partners of the firm, specially Narine Beglaryan and encourage may creative thinking, which helps me derive immense fulfillment from legal 'craftsmanship'.

However, while the kitchen is a space for creativity, stepping away from being a lawyer and fully disconnecting from work happens for me at the gym—during heavy, intense workouts.

Concern Dialog Wouldn’t Be Concern Dialog If...

Concern Dialog wouldn't be Concern Dialog if it weren't involved in Armenia's most interesting, intricate litigation requiring complex legal solutions. What sets Concern Dialog apart from other firms in the market are the values, environment, and comfort zone we create for our clients. Our defining characteristic is high employee ethics, demonstrated at every stage of our work and highly regarded both outside the office and within the professional community. The firm stands out for its tight-knit teamwork, the value generated as a result, and absolute integrity.

Sofya Wouldn’t Be Sofya Without...

I cannot imagine myself without court hearings and active litigation; I constantly need fresh, complex, and intricate cases.

Naturally, professional success requires certain sacrifices. On my journey, that sacrifice has been time—hours spent away from my personal life, friends, and family. To achieve something meaningful and great in life, you often have to make compromises.

If a book were ever written about Concern Dialog, what would its title be, and what would you want it to say about Sofya Kharatyan?

It would be titled ''The Secret to Success: People, Values, Stories.' And on my page, it would read: 'She believed that even in the most complex family disputes—when all values seem lost—the most vital task between the problem and the solution is never losing the Human element within the person.''