Much to my Daddy’s chagrin, I always wanted to be a lawyer. That goal took a detour when I got married during the last year of undergraduate at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in accounting and passing the Certified Public Accountant exam, I decided that this was enough for a decent career and put the dream of becoming an attorney on hold. Shortly thereafter, life took another detour, taking me into my (then) husband’s business as office manager. Ten years, two children and a divorce later, I realized that I needed some additional education to get my career back on track. I also realized I still wanted to be a lawyer. With lots of babysitting help and encouragement from my parents and sons, I graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Cumberland School of Law in 2004.
During law school, I clerked for a couple of local real estate attorneys. I enjoyed the work, but real estate wasn’t for me. After graduation, I was hired by an estate planning and probate practice in Huntsville. Unfortunately, having two young sons who were both involved in sports and extracurricular activities made the commute a problem, so I opened my own general practice in Albertville in 2005. I started getting appointments as Guardian ad litem for elderly and incapacitated people through the Probate Court and began noticing the questions that friends and family were asking about how to protect or care for their aging parents. As I discussed these issues and problems with my Daddy over time, he continued encouraging me to learn more about elder law, knowing he was guiding me into doing something I would love. He was right. I love practicing elder law because it is the best way for me to positively impact my clients, allowing me to take care of them and their families as they make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. I help clients with divorce for the same reason.
