A Little Bit About Me -- Professionally

My Practice: From Trade-mark Law to Wills

I haven’t always been practicing estate planning—before my current practice, I worked in trade-mark law.

I was twenty-three years old when I started law school. At the cost of aging myself, I wanted to be Joyce Davenport (the public defender on Hill Street Blues – does anybody remember that show, I wonder). But a summer articling with the Crown Prosecutor’s Office and an entertaining course on Intellectual Property changed all that and I spent the first twenty or so years of my career doing mostly Trade-mark Law.

About five years ago, a friend of mine started a part time Wills and Estates practice and I was helping him acquire the trade-mark “Wills On Wheels”. A few years later he suggested I help him out with his practice. I was very reluctant; my experience was limited to a mandatory law class on Wills. Although I still had the text book -- on the office bookshelf, mostly for show -- I certainly hadn’t opened it in decades. Heck, I didn’t even have a Will myself.

But by then I had had my own Trade-mark law practice for a few years. I had no boss, no partners, no employees; I was free to do as I pleased. My clients were mostly foreign and the practice almost entirely electronic. I had a smartphone and worked whenever and wherever I wanted. Life was pretty sweet except, although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was starved for human contact in my professional life.

Starting My Estate Planning Firm

And so, I threw caution to the wind, read some books about Wills and took on his overflow work. I soon realized that I had real empathy and, I think, talent for this work. And, more importantly, I really, really enjoyed it. This was not dull dreary Bleak House kind of stuff—Of course, it wasn’t Grisham’s The Testament either, but it could be!

With the realization that I like this work, it’s time to step it up a notch or two. Time to spread my wings and not just rely on the overflow but really start to market myself. I am that butterfly busting out of it’s cocoon and this blog is my wings.

My Philosophy

My goal is to deliver personalized high quality legal services in a direct, approachable and cost effective way. I implement the efficient use of technology to reduce or eliminate bottom line costs to my clients. I am part of Wills on Wheels and offer mobile services; if a client prefers not to come to my office, I offer a home visit Will writing service. I meet with clients in their homes or at some other convenient place at no extra cost.

People love it that they don’t have to meet me in my office at my convenience. And, I love it that they are so grateful and appreciative.