Legal Services & Lawyers

My full name is William Paul Slough, but I go by my middle name, Paul. My wife and I reside in Gaylord with our young son and daughter where I practice bankruptcy and consumer law.

My wife and I are both natives of Northern michigan. I grew up on a farm in Ellsworth and graduated from East Jordan High School; my wife was raised in Gaylord. We both attended North Central Michigan College in Petoskey before going to Michigan State University. I received my bachelors of science degree from the Lyman Briggs School of Science at MSU before obtaining my law degree at Thomas M. Cooley Law School. I graduated in the top five percent of my class with an emphasis on small firm and solo practice.

I then worked as a law clerk for the 46th Circuit Trial Court in Gaylord, researching complicated legal issues and writing judicial memorandum for the judges and magistrates. I have been actively practicing law since the fall of 2007. Additionally, I serve as a volunteer mediator to aid in the fast and effective resolution of legal conflicts. I am also an officer in the local 46th Circuit Bar Association.

I am admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and may practice in all state courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western District of Michigan.

I focus exclusively on bankruptcy and consumer law because I believe it is necessary to provide my clients with competent representation in such a complex area of the law. I am a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the American Bankruptcy Institute. Each year I spend days attending conferences covering the most recent changes in the laws of bankruptcy, as well as lending acts, credit reporting, debt collection and mortgage regulation.

It is extremely rewarding to be able to help clients through situations including job loss, divorce, litigation, and illness. Whether it's fighting a creditor's unfair collection practices, getting a client a fresh financial start, or protecting a client's consumer rights, I find this area of the law to be as rewarding as it is challenging.

James A. Christopherson, Esq. is an arbitrator, mediator and practicing attorney. He has over 28 years of experience as an attorney, arbitrator and mediator in complex construction, real estate, healthcare, commercial, contractual, financial and environmental disputes. He is available to provide legal assistance in commercial, healthcare, real estate, construction and environmental disputes throughout the State of Michigan. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Mr. Christopherson is on the National Roster of Neutral Arbitrators for both Commercial Arbitration and Construction Arbitration for the American Arbitration Association. He is an Arbitrator for the American Health Lawyers Association, the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution, the National Arbitration Forum and the London Court of International Arbitration. He is a mediator for the American Health Lawyers Association, the American Arbitration Association, the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, the Conflict Resolution Service and many state courts.

Working in Michigan since 1979 to understand and serve my corporate and individual clients in the areas of Estates & Trusts, Elder Law, Business and Contracts, Real Estate, and General Civil Law to develop cost effective solutions and strategies.