Probate and everything surrounding the death of a loved one is an extremely stressful time and sadly, the emotion alone often brings out the worst in people. When there is money on the table or unique, sentimental objects that only one child can possess, when children of one spouse compete with children of another marriage, the hardest most contentious aspects of family life can come to a head in a probate process. As in every other practice area, we pride ourselves on our attention to the people we represent and the people around them. If firmness on a point is required, so be it, but an overly heavy–handed lawyer with a narrow, scorched–earth, win/lose mentality is often not the best approach for a successful probate process and we define success not just by the allocation of the pennies and photo albums, but who is left talking to whom afterward.

After all, if family still talks with each other and perhaps even likes each other throughout and after the process, things that can be the source of great pain and the cause of feuds may be totally avoidable. Compromise and a fair result are possible. Who keeps a photo album or war medals is not so important when family stays together to see them and share them as they did before their father, mother or other loved one died. Things can be divided fairly and in some cases, even shared equitably.

We will fight for our clients when it is called for, but our job is not to fan family contention and pain in a show that may serve the lawyers but not our clients or the people who will be in their lives long after probate ends. Our job is to get the most for our clients during probate and in the years after probate ends.