Mediation is a process by which the disputing parties, with the assistance and help of an experienced trust and estate attorney, negotiate a settlement of their dispute.  Upon settlement, the attorney assisting in the process drafts a binding, written agreement that is signed by both parties and that is an enforceable contract.  The disputing parties generally meet with the mediator one or more days and, if all negotiate in good faith, can generally resolve the dispute within a week or less.  Mediation is extremely efficient and cost effective; however, it requires disputing parties who are willing to compromise and understand that no one will receive everything that they want or think that they deserve.

An experienced trust and estate attorney at Gillespie, Shields & Taylor, who has served as a judge pro tempore will serve as what amounts to a “private judge” agreed-upon by the parties to hear all sides of a dispute and make a binding decisions to resolve disputes.  All sides of the estate or trust may be represented by counsel, who presents the facts and the law to the arbitrator, who makes the ultimate decision.  The process is generally faster and much less expensive than litigating the dispute through a court with the same or comparable outcome.

Sometimes people believe they have a case or would like to litigate, but would like a thorough analysis of their potential claims before engaging an attorney to begin litigation that can become very costly.  Gillespie, Shields & Taylor are ready and willing to conduct preliminary legal research on any disputed issue in a trust or probate matter and provide you with a detailed written analysis, candid advice and options, whether you have retained an attorney to represent you or are simply contemplating retaining an attorney.

Perhaps you have already retained an attorney to represent you in an estate, trust, or probate matter, but you don’t understand the law, the legal process, or it is simply not being explained well to you.  Maybe you have an attorney who is representing you, but you feel uncomfortable about some aspect of the case, his or her billings, or an explanation he or she has provided to you.  Perhaps you could simply use some guidance as to what to say or suggest to your attorney to improve his representation or resolve a bottleneck.  Gillespie, Shields & Taylor provides services to review any or all aspects of your pending case, discuss the case with you, and provide the candid and comprehensive opinion of an experienced probate litigator and help improve your chances in litigation or at least, put your mind at ease.

Will Readings are common in film and television, but not services commonly offered by law firms in the modern era.  However, such meetings can prove useful to put everything on the table when a loved-one dies and potential conflict is anticipated involving a single or multiple family members.  Such meetings can also be particularly helpful in mixed-family situations where parent have children from prior relationships and one or both parents die.  An experienced attorney at Gillespie, Shields & Taylor will review the decedent’s estate planning documents (i.e. Will, Trusts, and Deeds), gather pertinent information about the family and the estate/trust assets, and then meet together with all family members to not only present and discuss the Will/Trust, but also to explain the legal procedure and answer questions.