Kimberly M. Hanlon
Business and Estates Attorney | Author | Entrepreneur
I am not your typical lawyer. First of all, I don’t have the mindset of the typical lawyer, and I certainly haven’t had the usual career path. I came to my legal career after being a fashion designer in New York and moving away for family reasons. It’s hard to be a fashion designer anywhere else, it really is.
After I became a lawyer, I started my practice and started practicing just like every other lawyer I know practices. As I was going along, I kept noticing that most law practices violate the laws of good business (and clients hate that but lawyers continue that way nonetheless). Laws of good business like providing a good experience for the client (more than just a good result), like building relationships with clients (and not just a merry-go-round of new prospects), and providing a level of care that is personalized and focused on what is important to the client (and not calling all the shots like we know what is best for you). It is amazing that law practices succeed given the usual practice model, and it is no wonder that people hate lawyers.
I don’t want to be the lawyer that people hate. I want to be the lawyer that people love.
As my practice grew, I stepped further and further away from the typical law model. I stopped doing divorce work. I stopped doing whatever-came-in-the-door work. I started focusing on what I could do that made a positive difference for people, that had me enjoy my practice and my clients, and that contributed to society. I stopped billing by the hour. I started running my law practice based on relationship principles. It has been a progression, and I’m constantly working to improve upon it, but I love how my law practice is now. I love my clients. I love my work. It’s fun being a lawyer – the way I’m doing it.
My favorite part of what I do is working with people. I think it is a profound privilege to get to do what I do.
- University of Tulsa
- J.D. | Law
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- The Minnesota Small Business Owner's Legal Survival Guide (How to avoid the 15 legal snares that can ruin your business, take over your life, and leave you bankrupt)
- Propitious Publishing
- The Minnesota Cabin Planning Guide and Workbook
- Propitious Publishing
- Strategies for Using Your Time for a Successful Practice and a Happy Life, Strategic Solutions for Solo and Small Firms, Duluth, Minnesota
- MinnCLE
- Up & Coming Attorney
- Minnesota Lawyer Magazine
- Women in Business Award
- Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal
- Amdahl Inn of Court
- Member
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- Minnesota Bar Association
- Member
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- Minnesota
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- Oklahoma
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Free Consultation
Free initial discovery call - Credit Cards Accepted
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
Blended Family Estate Planning: How to create a plan that will keep your blended family in harmony
Have a blended family? Might your spouse be in one in the future? A proper estate plan will ensure that your kids receive all that they deserve.
Don't pay to renew your LLC or Corporation in MN - Do it for free instead
Business attorney Kimberly Hanlon warns that each year in the fall, certain private companies send out letters with official-looking forms that entice unsuspecting small business owners to pay them to renew their business registration in Minnesota. You can, however, renew your business registration for free if you do it online and on time.
Wills vs Trusts: What's the difference?
Are you getting around to planning your estate and finding yourself overwhelmed by the array of options? Here, estate planning attorney Kimberly Hanlon walks you through the fundamentals: Wills vs Trusts.