From the outside looking in, the courtroom looks a little different!
Granted, I don’t litigate and never have. The extent of my exposure to litigation was during my time as a legal assistant at the State Attorney’s office, with a real estate attorney I worked for during law school, and during a clerkship with a federal judge over my 2nd law school summer.
Unlike many attorneys I know, I don’t even watch the legal drama shows on television – mostly because I don’t watch television, but also because if I do, I really don’t enjoy watching law-related shows.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not completely captivated with the legal profession in all of its forms.
When done right, it is truly an art.
I recently had the good fortune to watch two incredibly talented Family Law attorneys in action.
They structured their arguments perfectly. They introduced evidence at precisely the appropriate times. They hit all the right notes, raised all the right points, asked all the right questions, and flawlessly advocated for their client.
It just so happened, that their client is also a family member of mine, and I have a personal interest in the outcome of this case.
You see, my family member has been battling a legal issue for nearly four years. The lack of transparency, lack of communication, and lack of competent representation that this person received throughout the process in the state in which the issue is (not Florida!) was disheartening.
As a bystander, the mishaps and injustice experienced by my family member made me begin to lose confidence in the profession and lawyers generally.
Which you have to imagine is a strange feeling… since I am one and all.
Enter – these two bulldogs disguised as personable, professional, female attorneys.
Together, they allowed their client’s voice to be heard in the courtroom for the first time in four years.
Not only did they allow their client’s voice to be heard, but they absolutely screamed it from the rooftops.
Sometimes the bad stuff opens your eyes to the good stuff.
Absent the prior involvement of several subpar attorneys and the previous disappointing outcomes, would these two women have taken on this case with such vigor and such dedication?
I think they would have because they seem genuinely passionate about their work, but who really knows?
In similar fashion, many of our estate planning clients come to us after a particularly challenging probate experience.
The probate experience has left such a bad taste in their mouth that they know what they DON’T want to happen, but aren’t necessarily sure what they need to DO to ensure a favorable outcome.
Our clients know that they need to plan in advance to make things easy for their family and ensure the smooth transition of affairs and assets when they’re gone.
At the end of the planning process, when our clients are totally organized and all of their affairs are in order, the relief that they feel is palpable.
Taking the time to make sound decisions now and plan for your family alleviates so much work for your loved ones on the backend.
Click here to schedule your Life & Legacy Estate Planning Meeting with either Kristen or myself.
You may be wondering about the outcome of the case and I won’t leave you hanging.
The judge ruled in favor of my family member and my faith in the system is restored due to the attorneys’ collective passion for what they do.
Don’t you just love a happy ending?
Amanda “Justice Prevails” Lynch Elliott
P.S. Have you registered yet for our upcoming Free Lunch Workshop on December 12th at the Fish House on avoiding the 10 most common estate planning mistakes that will trip up your family? Plus, our co-host will share with us some fundamentals on sound investing and a 2020 investing outlook! Call our office to register for this free lunch workshop today. Space is limited so call or email us now. 850-439-1191