Ten years after her marriage to New Yorker Michael Cassidy, corporate lawyer Amy Gray is separated, living back in Connecticut at her mother Maxine Gray's with pre-teen daughter Lauren, who misses daddy. Amy starts sitting in as a novice judge in the Hartford County Superior Court family law division. She soon feels out of her depth, professionally, and accepts advice from her mother, officially retired after 28 years as social worker but 'counseling' full time, while resenting being mothered. Also living at home is Amy's sensitive brother, unemployed literature graduate Vincent Gray.

Ma finally admits the car she inherited from dad has had its time, but allows Peter to talk her out of settling for one that she and Vincent agreed on. Amy dumps her daughter's sleepover guests on ma, who shamelessly passes the kids on to Vincent. He takes this as proof that she never took his writing ambition seriously. Filling in for a sick judge, Amy presides over her first-ever, civilian jury trial, about minor Josh Spellman, who shot his girlfriend, Janette Harper, with his parents' gun, for which they may have to pay damages if held negligent.