Today we’d like to introduce you to Masumi Patel
Hi Masumi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I went to college at UCSD and graduated in 2000. While in college, I majored in “Ecology, Behavior & Evolution.” At the time, people didn’t really know what that meant so I called my degree “save-the-planet-biology” which was much easier for people to understand. I also minored in Law & Society. I didn’t know what to do with my degree and I didn’t want to be in a lab analyzing data. I had envisioned myself going to an office to work so I decided to go to law school.
I love to travel and did not end up studying abroad while in college because there were not very many programs that fit my degree and also allowed me to graduate in 4 years. So for law school, I wanted to go someplace completely different from Southern California. I chose to go to Brooklyn Law School. New York City/Brooklyn I figured was completely different. I loved living there.
When I graduated, I had a job offer with the New York City Law Department and with a firm in Irvine, CA which at the time was called Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia LLP. It was a difficult decision to make because I loved living in New York, but ultimately decided that I should go back home to California. I continued working in litigation for the next 10 years. I decided to take a step back from the law in 2013 when I had my first child. After I “retired,” the last law firm I last worked for would occasionally ask me to fill in if they got busy or if an employee was out of on medical leave. I was happy to do so and enjoyed being back at work. During this time, my family and I moved to Amsterdam and lived there for a few months. It was quite an adventure! We loved living there and had numerous friends and family come visit us. When we moved, my youngest was only 8 months old and my oldest was 3.
When my second child went to preschool, I figured it was time to go back to work. I’m the type of person who enjoys being busy and with both kids in school, I figured now was the time. I’m not sure what I was thinking. It was chaotic as my younger son was only in school 9 hours a week, but my husband and I made it work.
I decided I did not want to go back to litigation. I wanted to have a more flexible schedule now that I was a mom and I did not want to have to work nights or weekends. I really loved my estate planning classes in law school and actually always wanted to work that in area of the law. I ended up finding a solo practitioner who hired me. I worked for this woman, and during the pandemic, it became clear to me that our values did not align.
However, I did not want to leave my clients with her. She did not provide the same level of client service that I provided. I did not feel comfortable leaving my clients with her. Estate planning is interesting because your clients really open up to you. Quite often they will tell me what they often will not even tell their best friends. It really is an intimate conversation. And quite often, I feel like I have become friends with my clients. As a friend, I could not in good conscious leave my clients in her hands.
So I decided to open up my own law firm. My thought was that I was just going to finish up the estate plans of the few clients I had at the time. However, once people heard I opened up my own firm, I kept getting additional clients. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed running my own firm and practice. And now 4 years later, I am still looking ahead at ways to expand and grow my firm.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always challenges. Different clients bring different challenges. I’ve traveled to people who couldn’t leave their house, completed estate plans in a matter of days for people on their deathbed, and handled difficult relationships between family members. I try to take on every challenge presented to help my clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Law Office of Masumi Patel APC?
My law firm specializes in estate planning and probate. Estate planning is the process of anticipating and arranging for the management and transfer of a person’s estate during the person’s life in preparation for a person’s future incapacity or death. This is done through a Trust or a Will. I also help people who have loved ones who have passed away without a Trust. This process is called probate and requires the Court’s assistance. In most circumstances, a Will will not avoid probate.
We do not handle litigation and happily refer those matters to other attorneys.
I take the time to get to know my clients on a personal level. I offer a free 20 minute consultation so that the client can get to know me and I can get to know the potential client and make sure we are good fit for each other. If we are not a good fit, I will help them find another attorney who is available to help. I do not like to leave anyone hanging. I have a large business network and can usually help someone find the right kind of attorney or non-attorney that they need to help them. I am a connector by nature and love making introductions to people that should know each other.
I charge a flat fee for estate planning and it includes the drafting of the deed(s) necessary to transfer a primary residence to the client’s Trust. The nice thing about the flat fee is that the client is aware of the total fee up front and does not have to worry about “watching the clock.” This allows the client to feel comfortable and share personal information. I recognize that attorneys can be intimidating, and I do not want my clients to feel that way about me. I want to be approachable.
Periodically, I offer Saturday or Sunday or even evening signing appointments. I don’t really want my clients to have to request time off from work or use their vacation time to meet with me. I also assist drafting estate plans on an emergency basis meaning the client is in the hospital and needs to get a plan put in place quickly.
I have clients all over California from San Diego to Lake Tahoe. I do not need to meet in person with my clients. If a client does not live near my practice, I will mail them the documents that need to be signed and notarized and then they return the signed documents to me for processing.
I am a true solo practitioner. When clients call or email me, I am the one who responds. I am very hands on with my firm.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I am not a risk taker. I am risk adverse. My husband is a risk taker and together we are a good balance.
I think taking risks in life is exciting and that you grow from your experiences.
I would say opening my practice was a risk. I wasn’t sure if I would have clients come through the door. There are so many fears when starting your own business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.masumipatellaw.com
- Instagram: masumipatellaw
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MasumiPatelLaw
