Laurel M. Smith

"Disputes over estate, trust, guardianship, and probate matters are usually both legally and personally challenging. These matters involve an understanding of human nature and unique family dynamics, multi-faceted legal analysis, and acute litigation and trial acumen. I believe in compassionate representation in the face of emotional difficulty. In and out of court, I navigate my clients beyond the personal and legal complications that can permeate this type of controversy – all with a focus on realizing the right result and being compassionate throughout the process."

Trusted advisor, litigator, mediator, and trial advocate, Laurel Smith, resolves probate, trust, and guardianship matters, whether the case involves an uncontested guardianship or estate administration, or litigation in these areas. Among her clients are individuals, families, and corporate fiduciaries whom she represents in and out of court.

Estate-related disputes can be emotionally challenging, to say the least. As an advocate, Laurel is known for being practical, strategic, and focused. She distinguishes herself by providing a higher level of legal acumen and trial prowess. For her years of practice, Laurel brings an outsized amount of experience from serving as first chair trial counsel in bench and jury trials alike – a value-add to the clients she feels privileged to represent today. Equally important, Laurel also delivers a far deeper commitment to delivering personalized service and compassionate representation.

On attack or defense, Laurel represents clients across the full range of trust, estate, and guardianship litigation and complex and disputed administration proceedings. Her experience ranges from advocating client rights involving breach of fiduciary duty and accounting disputes to fiduciary surcharge and removal litigation, to will contests, to guardianship litigation and incapacity matters, to trust modification, reformation, and termination claims. She also resolves litigation involving the mismanagement of assets, recovery of estate property, undue influence, mental incapacity, valuation of assets, and controversies over commissions and fees.

In addition to litigation, Laurel assists individuals and families in navigating various legal processes, such as probating wills, establishing heirships, and handling uncontested guardianships. Her goal is to provide guidance and support through these often complex matters, ensuring that clients understand their options and can move forward with confidence. Whether it involves settling an estate, determining rightful heirs, or securing guardianship for a loved one, she strives to make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible.

For Laurel, client advocacy is personal, as her mother went through a difficult estate-related dispute that impacted their family. This experience drives Laurel to far go beyond traditional service models and redefine the value and care a lawyer can deliver. She brings not only a commitment to meticulous case preparation and planning but also to identifying and executing the delicate mix of both short and long-term legal strategy and innate interpersonal skills needed to guide clients through what can be an exceedingly difficult and often emotionally charged situation.

Prior to joining the legal profession, Laurel worked in the medical sector in an IVF laboratory, where she focused on assisting patients in conceiving children. This experience provided Laurel with a unique perspective on the private issues that families face and empowered her to interact with clients with far more care and empathy. One can truly say that Laurel honed her “bedside manner” by communicating with kindness and honesty when preserving each patient’s (and now client’s) dignity.

Laurel knows how to put herself in her client's shoes by actively listening to their needs and remaining ultra-sensitive to the family nature of these disputes. When possible, Laurel strives to leave room for diplomatic negotiation that mitigates family acrimony and results in the potential for healing key relations.