Sonya Schiff Linton

Sonya is a neighbor of ours, so we've known her in that context; that gave us the confidence to ask her to help us with our estate planning. A person might normally be reluctant to mix business with a social relationship, so the fact that we weren't says something about our opinion of Sonya from the ...outset. We were not disappointed. Sonya was excellent at explaining legal issues and terminology, as well as updating us on the changes in estate tax laws (it had been many years since we'd looked at our wills). She even drew flowcharts and gave written hypothetical examples--both of which were very helpful for us--without making us feel like schoolchildren. She occupies the generation between us and that of our young adult children, and she's a wife and mother, so she had a perspective on family issues that we really appreciated. Finally, when she didn't know the answer to a question, which was infrequent, she was forthright about it--then she researched the issue and got back to us very quickly. As with any estate plan, there were some personal decisions to be made; she gave us guidance as far as options and their potential consequences that we felt was thorough as well as completely impartial. In other words, she was a professional--also warm and approachable. We've subsequently recommended her to a friend who also gave her glowing reviews. When an attorney can make estate planning a positive experience, that says something.