Welcome to the elder law practice of Alexandria Skinner, J.D. (located at 3924 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC). This is a boutique practice devoted to “helping people tackle problems instead of each other.”™
I help widows (and widowers) who need help with probate. I help people who may be planning in advance for their own old age or disability. (Everyone, not just old people, needs wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance planning for medical emergencies!!) My elder law practice includes helping family members who need to take care of a loved one who is a vulnerable adult. (Perhaps they have a child who will always have special needs or their aging parent is developing dementia or disability.) I can’t always “fix” a situation, but I can often find ways to help make things better. Other times, people have been referred to me for divorce help or for other “family law” issues such as a name or gender change. Family law, mediation, and meeting facilitation services are also offered, but only in limited circumstances.
If you are wondering whether I can help you, please explore the articles and resources you find on my web site. If what you see sounds interesting and you are interested in a consultation, please fill in the contact form at the bottom of this page. The fee for an initial consultation is $50 for a half hour phone consultation or $200 for a one hour in person or zoom meeting.
- ESTATE PLANNING AND ELDER CARE PLANNING (WILLS, TRUSTS, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVES) ,
- ELDER LAW or ELDER CARE FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS, usually addressed through
- NON-ADVERSARIAL DIVORCE including:
- mediated divorce,
- uncontested divorce,
- collaborative divorce,
- ADOPTION (usually by a grandparent, step-parent, or other person who has been caring for the child),
- PARENTING PLANS (e.g. establishing or making a change in legal custody, guardianship, schedules, residence, etc),
- NAME CHANGE (for both adults and children),
- PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS,
It is said that if the only tool in your tool kit is a hammer, then the whole world looks like a nail. Often, when parties are in conflict consult with an attorney, that attorney’s first response is to suggest the filing of legal papers. Certainly, filing of cases in court (also called “litigation”) is an important and valuable tool for addressing conflict. However, litigation is not the only tool utilized in this practice. There are many tools available for resolution of conflict, some of which may be objectively better than a lawsuit, in a given case. Parties are wise to consider all of the tools in the toolbox before deciding which approach to use.
Sometimes parties file papers only to find that this action compounded their troubles (and cost) instead of making their situation better. Each individual case is unique and deserves an approach tailored to the needs of the parties, not just a one-size-fits-all, knee-jerk response. The first step is always a consultation to discuss your needs, goals, and unique circumstances. If your needs are straightforward, that’s great. If they are not, more sophisticated or less obvious options will be explored.
In this integrative style practice, options explored may include conflict coaching, negotiation, multiple forms of mediation (mediation is a term that refers to many different forms of conflict resolution and in this practice includes transformative, narrative, facilitative, and evaluative styles of mediation), preventive legal planning, and also including lawsuits in appropriate cases. Subject matter experts may be consulted, on a case by case basis, to ensure that all client needs have been considered and that negative consequences can be avoided to the extent possible. The goal in every case is to utilize the entire toolbox in such a way as to meet the unique goals, needs, and values of the parties themselves. An equally important goal is for remedies to be long term, sustainable, and cost effective.
Not every law or mediation practice is the right fit for every client. To see if this is the right practice for you, please request either a telephone, internet, or office consultation, using the contact form below, or call 803-414-0185 to speak with someone.
TYPES OF LAW
| FAMILY LAW :
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ELDER LAW:
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WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PRACTICE?
Small and Personal: My clients receive personal attention from me and from my staff. You will never receive a bill for a postage stamp.
Integrative: My philosophy is to seek a solution that is going to meet all needs in a wholesome way, to the extent possible. As an IACP certified collaborative professional, I fully support incorporating the wisdom of other, subject matter experts (as warranted) to come up with solutions designed to address the needs and goals of my clients in a “big picture” way of thinking.
Forward Looking: My philosophy is to seek solutions that are going to work in the long term and be healthy and happy for both the individual and the family. Documents I draft are prepared with the goal of avoiding issues that can give rise to family conflict later. My clients rely on me for professional guidance and advice, not merely advocacy for a position.
Nonadversarial wherever possible: My philosophy is that families ought not have to engage in an adversarial process to settle family matters. On the other hand, peacemaking does not mean to cave in either. Conflict needs to be resolved fairly and, where possible, in ways that don’t rip the family apart at the seams. I seek to empower clients, individually and as a team, to identify and implement solutions that reflect their unique and individual values and circumstances and which address the underlying causes or symptoms of the conflict. In my practice, resources are channeled into finding solutions rather than fueling conflict.
Interest based: I first help clients identify the underlying issues that are causing distress or which may give rise to problems in the future. Then, I help clients identify wholesome, realistic solutions to those issues. When parties work as a team to address or neutralize causes of conflict, rather than as adversaries seeking to gain advantage over one another, it is more likely that they will be able to find creative solutions which meet more of their underlying needs and interests.
Workable: Ideally, people will be happier with their negotiated or mediated settlement than they would be with a solution imposed by a court after a grueling, adversarial battle. Because of the emphasis on finding solutions rather than building walls, this approach also conserves family and elder resources, and family relationships can be strengthened rather than torn apart by litigation. To ensure integrity of long term result, part of the process will include asking whether the negotiated solution is workable in the long run, not just whether it satisfies the immediate need.
Empowering: The approach of a peacemaking lawyer also is backwards from that of a litigating attorney. In a typical divorce case, the very first thing the attorney does is to file legal papers asking a judge to make a decision in the case. After this, settlement negotiations ensue. My approach is the opposite. My clients reach their settlement agreement before they ever file papers. When papers are filed after agreement has already been reached, the case is uncontested and the judge is simply asked to review and approve the settlement.
Ethical: I am also very clear about my role and my ethical obligations. A mediator is neutral and does not represent either party. An attorney is an advocate and cannot be neutral. A mediator who says they can represent one party, or an attorney who says they can mediate, are both violating ethical standards of their professions. I will wear one hat or the other, but not both. This is discussed in initial conversations. If I am working as an attorney in a case which needs a mediator, or vice versa, I will help arrange appropriate assistance from appropriate professionals.
Transparent: I do not claim to the the “right” lawyer for every client. Clients who want to be told what to do and who want to see the world in terms of black and white, who want to view themselves as “good” and the other side as “evil,” will not enjoy my approach to law. I cannot promise to be perfect, and I cannot promise to “fix” everything that is wrong. What I can promise to do is to do my best to be competent and to know the law, to give the best advice I know how to give, to refer clients to others with more expertise when that is appropriate, to be honest with my clients, to be fair in terms of billing, and to earnestly work for the good of my clients.
WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR A PEACEMAKING APPROACH TO FAMILY LAW?
Committed to Fairness: Mediated and negotiated solutions for family and elder care issues are not appropriate for every case. I only accept family law clients who are committed to finding fair and workable solutions to challenges that face families and elders. I do accept elder law cases which may be litigated in probate court, because of the important value of protecting fairness to the vulnerable adult. By limiting my practice to the niche areas of non-adversarial family law and protection of vulnerable adults, I am able to focus on quality and sustainability of results for people who care deeply about the long term vision for the future of themselves and their families.
Self Aware: The clients who choose to work with me, and with whom I choose to work, are those who: (1) understand the value of focusing on healing and wholeness in the long term, (2) understand the value of finding solutions that are fair, precisely tailored to their needs, practical, and sustainable, (3) are willing to pay a fair rate for those services; (4) agree to consult with consulting experts when appropriate (financial advisers, appraisers, psychologists and therapists, vocational rehabilitation experts, legal advisers); and (5) have a high level of insight into their most important goals and target solutions that reflect those values, rather than having solutions dictated or imposed by an outside third party.
LOOKING FOR A CHEAP LAWYER?
Focusing on a cheap solution to family and elder issues can be penny wise but pound foolish. The consequences of poor decisions don’t just last a lifetime. They can affect your family for generations, literally.
I spend quality time with every client to learn their values, goals, and circumstances, to help them carefully consider their options, and then to decide on and implement legal solutions which reflect those individual needs and circumstances. Your conversations with me may involve difficult questions and hard answers. This is because half baked, knee jerk, and temporary solutions that punt the hard decisions down the road six months are just as unwise for families as they are for Congress. The most cost effective solution to a challenge is not necessarily the one that is “easiest” or the one with the lowest up front cost, but the one that will meet the parties’ needs in a sustainable and affordable way in the long run.
While it’s true that mediated and collaborative approaches do tend to cost less than litigation, the difference in cost is due to effectiveness of the process and the solutions. All emphasis is on finding workable solutions rather than perpetuating conflict and arguing. Families tend to keep more money in their pocket overall, preserve relationships and ability to work together as families and as parents, and experience less need for future court action. The investment in a peaceable divorce or quality elder care plan is an investment in a better future. But please, don’t make the mistake of focusing on “cheap” when you think in terms of family legal solutions. If you want a “cheap fix,” keep looking. If what you are looking for, instead, is a fair and cost effective solution to a complex family issue that has legal dimensions to it, you may have come to the right place.
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