Attorney at Law
I began my career in 1996 working for a union-side labor law firm that specialized in the representation of law enforcement officers. I represented individual officers and their associations in administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings, as well as 1000+ plaintiff overtime action against the U.S. government that resulted in an eventual eight figure payout.
In 2002, I went to work for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, as part of their in-house legal team. In my 19 year tenure working for Sheriffs Bill Kolender and later Bill Gore, I advised the Sheriff’s Department’s Detentions, Courts, and Management Services bureaus, advised on subpoena compliance and public records requests, litigated over 30 personnel cases before the San Diego County Civil Service Commission, and represented the department in the Superior Court on motions involving the discovery of peace officer personnel records. In the year prior to my retirement in March 2021, I was part of the Sheriff’s delegation in the Justice Partners’ ad-hoc virtual meetings with the District Attorney, the City Attorney, the Public Defender, and the Superior Court tasked with keeping the criminal justice system functioning during the COVID-19 shutdown.
At the Sheriff’s Department, I developed a reputation as a problem-solver who could help members of the public and other lawyers navigate the bureaucracy of the Sheriff’s Department, an agency of over 4000 employees spread out over four distinct bureaus. It was not uncommon for me to answer a phone call from another lawyer that began with, “The judge in my client’s case suggested I call you about……”
From 2014 – 2021, I served as a Judge Pro Tempore of the San Diego County Superior Court. One day per month, I volunteered my time hearing and adjudicating small claims cases as a temporary judge. I heard a wide range of cases from auto accidents, to landlord/tenant cases, to slip-and-fall accidents. As for my judicial demeanor, I would like to think that I was more like Judge Wapner than Judge Judy.
In this chapter of my career, I am excited to bring my problem-solving skills to everyday people seeking to make life easier for their families and loved ones after they have gone.
There are a lot of attorneys doing this kind of work. Here are a few things that set me apart:
– Reduced costs – I work out of my home, and I do all the work myself.
– Clear communication – It’s your will. It’s your trust. It’s your estate. I want you to understand your estate plan, and know why you’re doing what you’re doing. I’ve spent 25 years in practice explaining complicated legal issues to non-lawyers. I can and will explain your estate plan to you in a way that de-mystifies the process.
– Singular focus on you – I take on one client at a time and work on their estate plan to completion. Then I move onto the next client.
– I listen – You may not have an idea as to how you want to dispose of your estate, and I’m happy to give you sound advice in that area. On the other hand, you may already have a very firm vision for how you want your assets distributed, and if that’s the case, I will make sure that is is *your* vision that comes to fruition.
– Focus on Simplicity and Organization – You can have the greatest estate plan in the world, but when you or a loved one passes and no one knows:
It’s going to be a big mess trying to sort through.
Sadly, many estate planning attorneys focus on drafting the documents to exclusion of everything else. Drafting is extremely important. It’s also very important to access a well organized, cleanly labeled file folder that contains everything essential. The estate planning document will be current and no one will have to worry what may be missing. On that sad day when the estate documents are needed, I will make sure they are easily located as well as current and complete.
– Follow up – Having an estate plan is like having a car. It has to be maintained. That doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be amended. But, you need to periodically go over your estate plan and make sure it still fits your needs. I’ll set you up to do that. So when the inevitable day comes, your estate reflects your current needs and not your needs from 20 years ago.
