Laura Julia O'Kane

I am a retired English teacher on a pension. Accordingly, I was also an estate document do-it-yourselfer. I thought that after spending many hours carefully researching and writing my documents, that it would be an easy matter to find an estate attorney to vet them and pay a consult fee for this se...rvice. I was mistaken. The first attorney I spoke to, one with superior ratings, said that if I paid $1.00, he risked liability. Attorney after attorney, likewise, did not offer assistance, essentially ignoring my do-it-yourselfer status and, instead, offering exorbitant services. Needless to say, being made to feel like a pariah was not the expected outcome for my self-reliance! After attorney number eight, in steps Attorney O'Kane, the first person sympathetic to my predicament. She confirmed that, in general, attorneys would be reluctant to take my case “as is” because the practice of estate law is rife with malpractice lawsuits. Yet, she was concerned and agreed to help me. We made an appointment for a consult, free of charge. She made sure I understood that she would examine my documents but that she would not warrant them. She would then offer a price for re-doing my documents according to California law and that I could accept or reject that price without obligation. She spent at least one hour carefully reading, taking notes and asking questions. The price she offered was more than reasonable. Through the process, we communicated easily via email. Her office staff were very helpful. I am now finished with my bona fide documents, the time I spent as a do-it-yourselfer was not wasted, and I'm very happy. Attorney O'Kane is to be commended not only for her astuteness and workmanship but, moreover, for her warmth, caring and integrity. She therefore receives five stars.