Once upon a time….

Having practiced law for just over 20 years, my sense is that our legal system will eventually impact everyone in this country in some way or another. The wonderful thing about it (and what attracted me to law in the first place) is that when the legal system works, as intended, it often brings relief.

Once upon a time, the law gave us a secure set of rules and a forum for the resolution of all kinds of disputes. To many, that sense of security and certainty seemed more important than the actual outcome of any legal dispute. In those days, certainty and clarity had real value. That was when the meaning of law and justice seemed synonymous.

Today, those wonderful values are all but gone. In its place is a legal system that no longer provides the certainty, consistency and clarity it once did. What we have now is a fearsome, terribly broken and extraordinarily expensive legal infrastructure that is frustrating at best. At worst, it is a forum for pervasive, debilitating corruption. The American legal system no longer exists to support individuals or businesses; it now exists to support itself in ways that make justice seem not merely blind but absent.

Consider the adverse impact that the proliferation of litigation has had on the character of Americans doing the suing, as well as those who fear being sued – not to mention the hostile emotions and counterproductive energy that are natural byproducts of adversarial proceedings. Add to that the resulting negative perception the world has of America’s once-vaunted legitimacy, and one could easily conclude that lawsuit-happy America is in really big trouble.

If you are one of my clients, then you know that my goal is to reduce your FEAR. We do this together by you sharing your concerns and fears, and by me using my experience and the legal tools available to do two things:

1. Identify where your fear of lawsuits, or of losing your assets, is valid, and where it is made up. You would be surprised how powerful just this conversation is. It’s like going to the doctor with an intense fear that you have Cancer, only to be told you have a cold.
2. Plan where you can take concrete steps to protect your assets from your valid fears, and get it done!

These two steps work hand in hand. By identifying where your fears are real and where they are imaginary, you can reduce your immediate stress level, giving you space to take the second step of planning. By planning, you create the actual protection for your assets, which leads to your peace of mind.

Imagine spending 20 years of your life, having literally thousands of conversations, all with the single goal of supporting you and your clients to be more loving and less fearful.

That is my job, and that is why I still choose to wake up and do it with joy every day!