About the firm
A small firm that explains things
Ruth Fairholme opened the firm in 2006 with one desk and a borrowed conference table. The idea was simple: families should understand every page they sign. It still is.
Our story
Before Fairholme, Ruth spent twelve years at a larger firm writing excellent plans that many clients could not explain to their own children. Too many trusts were signed and never funded. Too many families met probate court because one account had been forgotten.
So she built a practice around three habits: explain everything in plain words, publish the price, and stay with a plan until it is actually finished. Daniel joined in 2012, Marcus in 2015 and Leah in 2017. The habits have not changed.
Today we help families across Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea and the rest of Washtenaw County, mostly through word of mouth and our free workshops.
A plan only works if the people left behind can understand it. Everything else is detail.
How we work
Six habits we keep
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Plain words, always
Every legal term is explained the first time we use it. If a sentence in your plan needs a lawyer to read it, we rewrite it.
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Flat fees, in writing
You know the full price before you pay anything. Phone calls and questions are never billed by the hour.
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No pressure, ever
We will tell you when you need less than you came for. Some of our best referrals come from people we sent home with a simple will.
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We come to you
Kitchen tables, hospital rooms and care homes within about 25 miles. A signing should never be the hard part.
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Plans that get finished
Funding a trust is where plans quietly fail. We record deeds ourselves and check in until every account is done.
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We stay in touch
Small updates are free for a year, and every three years we write to ask whether life has changed.
The firm, in a few plain numbers
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2006
The year we opened1
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3 + 1
Attorneys, plus Marcus2
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25 miles
Home visits included3
1. Fictional firm for this demo / 2. Three licensed attorneys and one senior paralegal, who does not give legal advice / 3. For plan clients, measured from our Ann Arbor office; further out, just ask
The team
Full profiles-
Ruth Fairholme
Founding attorney
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Daniel Cho
Partner
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Leah Brandt
Attorney
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Marcus Bell
Senior paralegal and signing coordinator
Honest edges
What we don't do
A firm that does everything rarely does estate planning well. We stay in our lane, and when you need something else, we know good people to send you to.
- Divorce or custody cases (we will refer you to someone good)
- Lawsuits over contested wills, beyond helping a trustee respond calmly
- Tax return preparation, which your accountant handles
- Selling investments or insurance. We earn nothing from either
How can we help?
The first consultation is free and takes about an hour, at our office, in your home or by video. You will leave knowing what you need and what it costs.
Book a free consultation