One day, a elderly lady, walked into my office and asked me if I could help her with paperwork that she needed to prepare. She and her husband had five kids and felt the urgency of organizing their estate and getting their ducks in a row. She was the sweetest person ever. She didn’t have much money and asked for a payment plan. Long after all her documents were ready, she was religiously coming over with a check handed to me on the same date, each month, until her balance was paid in full. Every month it was harder and harder for her to walk and the last month she was in her wheelchair.
I still remember the signing event when she appeared with her husband. We took out tome and I wanted to make sure that she was happy with her documents. She picked “My Life”, the most popular package I ever had that truly covers all estate planning documents in the State of Arizona.
A month later, I received a hand written note, thanking me for all I’ve done and all the talks and patience with her. I take my clients personally. Their stories count. Their life and all that is important to them, it becomes important to me. I don’t mind spending long hours listening and understanding that this is not just about putting the legal documents together. It is about the decision that indicate some of the major changes and moves in a person’s life.
Many clients later, I received a call. My little lady was gone. Her family now needed my help and her husband could not leave his home. All their children came from far away places and again, I knew that my job is personal. I was connected to the people I helped in the most unpredictable ways and yet they needed me. I needed them too. It all made sense to me. My clients become my friends, the people that made the difference in my life just as much as I’ve done for theirs.
Anthem Paralegal 