Although I didn't realize it my early life paved the way for me to ultimately enter elder law practice.  My father, Gary Pierce, managed several senior living facilities in south Florida during my early childhood. Throughout pre-school, elementary, and middle school I spent time in the lobby and common areas of these facilities and enjoyed spending time with the residents. Growing up in South Florida our neighbors were rarely other families with children and more often retired couples. These experiences played a great role in establishing my overall perspective and, as a consequence, I never really saw things in terms of age.

I was formally introduced to elder law concepts in law school where I clerked part-time at the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging. While obtaining my law degree, I became more focused her on legal issues around caring for disabled persons in community settings and my vision for this firm was first formed during my last year in school.

I also had a very personal interest in end of life issues due to my father's passing over the summer prior to beginning law school. My Dad, wise as he was in most things, never wrote a Will, executed a Durable Power of Attorney or Health Care Power of Attorney, or implemented a Living Will. He was in a coma for the last days of his life and my family had to make the impossibly tough decision to cease life support upon learning parts of his brain were dying. Although he clearly expressed his wishes to never be kept on life support throughout his life, it was still a much more difficult process without the documents in-hand. Mom had to formally probate his intestate estate and grapple with the legal issues all while grieving for her husband. It was hardly an ideal situation.

After I graduated from law school I worked in areas involving technology, contracts in corporate settings for the past ten years but I never lost the desire to practice elder law. During my time at Bank of America, I participated in the Legal Department's annual Wills clinic and eventually helped organize the clinic in 2015.  Seeing the need for focused legal representation in the elderly communities and the equally compelling need for more Americans to have access to affordable legal representation, I researched different law firm business models and developed the LegalLight concept as a way to provide high-quality, affordable estate planning for everyone by heavily leveraging technology and process efficiency.

Call or email me today to discuss how I may help you plan your estate, navigate benefits applications, or assist with probating an estate.