10 People to Thank CLIENTS OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS
January is National Hobby Month, and since it falls at the beginning of the year, it’s the perfect time to try something new! Hobbies add variety to your life and ensure you aren’t just living to work, so to speak. The best way to find a hobby you enjoy is to be open to new things. Whether it’s gardening, reading, drawing, running, fishing, crafting, or even beekeeping, finding an activity you enjoy is important. Here’s why! Hobbies are stress relievers. Hobbies offer a healthy escape from your busy lifestyle by keeping you engaged in something you find pleasure in. Instead of just relaxing on the couch and turning off your mind for a bit (which is totally acceptable sometimes), hobbies allow you to remain mentally productive while winding down at the same time. Hobbies also provide eustress . Believe it or not, one type of stress is deemed beneficial: eustress. If you aren’t overly stressed and are feeling a little under-stimulated, a hobby can provide activity for both your mind and body to keep you feeling excited about life and ready to take on new challenges and adventures. Hobbies offer a social outlet. Some hobbies involve group activities, such as bowling, sports teams, book clubs, and even wine tasting. Connecting with others offers the social support humans depend on to lead a healthy and fruitful life. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find some great friends who share the same passions as you! Hobbies develop patience. When you take on a new hobby, you are tasked with learning something new. Whether you’re practicing a new instrument, learning a different language, or figuring out how to make jewelry, a learning curve is involved. Building new skills takes patience, a very important attribute for success. Finding a hobby that suits you may take some exploration and trial and error, but it is all in good fun! Make it your goal to try something new or learn a new skill each month until you find something that sticks. Once you do, you’re sure to find that hobbies are both enjoyable and enriching! LOCAL BUSINESS PROFILE: Valley Wine Cellar Valley Wine Cellar is locally owned and THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A HOBBY Skills That Enrich Us
PART I
I can’t believe it has been 10 years since I started the law firm, and in that time, I’ve met and worked with so many wonderful clients. I’ve had some time to reflect on some of those highlights, and I thought I’d share them in upcoming newsletters. Here are a few to get the series started. 1. Invaluable Experience For eight years, I worked as a part-time assistant prosecuting attorney for Jefferson County. While doing so, I was able to home in on my trial skills. This experience has been invaluable for my career. 2. No More Family Law a. Early on in my career, I helped a single mom, who lost custody of her daughter and only had visitation rights for seven years, get full custody of her daughter. Oh, and did I mention that she skipped town and skipped out on paying the balance of her bill? This taught me many lessons about the practice of law. b. My final two “family law” cases showed me the ugly side of custody and divorce. I represented two single fathers, in separate cases, in separate counties, and in both cases, the mom was using the kid/children as a bargaining chip. That in and of itself really pushed me away from doing any family law cases. It made my decision to stop doing them a lot easier, too! 3. Probate and Estate Planning My love for probate and estate planning started early on in my career. One of my first clients was a family member who was close to 85 years old and in need of an estate plan. But what she really needed was for me to become a lawyer 10 years sooner. So, from then on, I made it a point to make sure people have access to good information as it relates to probate and estate planning — because where there’s a will, there’s a way, and when there’s no will, then there’s probate. a. Our client’s father passed away and then, less than 45 days later, his youngest brother passed away. This was a favorite probate case because it was in Pennsylvania and it was a challenge for my team and me to navigate the Pennsylvania and Ohio probate laws. b. Another favorite was a husband who came to us as a last resort. He wanted a second opinion about how his wife’s sister received everything based on a fabricated handwritten last will of his wife. This case was very rewarding as my team and I were able to separate fact from fiction and help him receive what he was entitled to. This is only part one of a three-part series. For more memories from prior clients and cases, make sure you check out our February and March newsletters!
operated by Mary Decker, a longtime resident of the Ohio Valley. It’s located right in the heart of the business district in Wintersville. Did you know they also have wine tasting events and a wine bar?! Call 740-264-5100 for more information about their offerings and events.
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