Karen D. Lane

Welcome. I want to introduce myself to you as well as my practice philosophy. I am a solo practitioner with a small, client-centered private legal practice, which is dedicated to the practice areas of family law, divorce mediation, estate law (including guardianship and conservatorship law), and elder law family mediation. I have over 20 years of experience in private practice, and over 30 years of professional and life experience that have shaped my approach to and the principles guiding my law practice. Because my practice is client-centered, I am always available to work with you to achieve your goals.

I am dedicated to providing each of my clients with zealous, professional, compassionate, and affordable expert legal representation. I believe in treating each client as if s/he were my only client. To maintain a client-centered practice, I intentionally accept only a select number of clients to maintain the one-on-one client-centered legal representation that only a solo practitioner can devote to their clients. My process of selecting clients I represent is based, first and foremost, not on finances but on whether we will work well together to achieve your goals. Legal representation is often a long and stressful process, and you and I may be working together for a long time, so we have to be able to do so harmoniously and respectfully. I do not work well with prospective clients with a "take no prisoners" philosophy! In essence, what type of client is a good fit? In a nutshell, the clients that I work best with, and who achieve the highest personal long term satisfaction at the end of a case, are clients who are honest, have realistic expectations, are open to suggestions and legal advice, and put the best interests of their children (if they have any) first. 

My clients are from average Massachusetts middle-class families and often believe they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. I am committed to making expert legal representation affordable through flat fees and limited-scope representation tailored to my client's needs and circumstances. I no longer use hourly billing for the vast majority of my cases. This is based on my belief that "pro-se" representation – representing oneself – in the Probate Courts of Massachusetts is a much more complicated, daunting, and frustrating process than most people realize, and self-representation most often leads to wrong results.

I represent clients in the metro-suburban Boston area, including Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Worcester, and Essex counties. My offices are centrally located in the Sherborn on the Natick/Framingham town lines and will soon expand to The Suites at Apple Hill. I offer all prospective clients a free thirty-minute telephone consultation. I also meet with clients by appointment only when needed in their homes.