Many clients have asked me how I started my journey in estate planning and developed the practice into a firm that focuses on the counseling aspect of legal work. This focus allows us to serve families with personalized services, recognizing the unique circumstances of each family. Simply put, we are in the business of protecting our clients and their families, not just selling documents. I began my career as a sole practitioner, limiting my practice to estate planning. Although many of my classmates thought I was foolish to start my own firm directly out of law school, I wanted to ensure that I did not build a career at the expense of my family, which already included my oldest daughter who celebrated her first birthday a month after my law school graduation.
        Having decided during law school that I was most interested in estate planning, I was fortunate that the most substantial estate tax law changes to date were passed in 1982 and 1983, requiring more experienced attorneys to learn much of what I was learning in school. Because I focused primarily on estate planning and tax law classes, I entered the profession with a strong foundation in the very laws that others were just adapting to. That advantage, combined with the many relationships I was blessed to build with other professionals early on, allowed me to grow my practice quickly and efficiently. That focus was also essential to obtaining and maintaining the expertise needed to provide wise counsel in a field that involves ongoing changes in federal and state laws. That commitment is reflected in becoming a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialists in 1993.
        Within a few years, I was invited to join a small firm as a partner, one where I had worked during law school, which allowed me to continue growing my practice while still controlling my schedule. As our family grew to include four children, the demands of helping manage a firm with two other partners and four additional attorneys eventually led me to return to a solo practice, giving me more flexibility for family and to serve in leadership with community organizations and ministries. 
February of 1999 began a new chapter when my wife and I were surprised by circumstances that led us to adopt four siblings from Russia, expanding our family to eight children between the ages of nine and sixteen. Needless to say, for a season growing the firm was not an option. Although it was a challenging period, it was also a season full of blessings, far more meaningful to me than growing a large law firm ever could have been.
        I value family, service, and relationships more than other measures of success our society values. That belief significantly influences how we prepare estate plans for families at Hiskey and Fitter. We understand that decisions such as naming successor trustees, executors, or determining how assets are distributed can deeply affect family relationships. If not handled thoughtfully, these decisions can lead to unnecessary conflict. That is why we work closely with each client to craft plans that reflect their values, goals, and unique family dynamics. Globally, most people don’t have excess resources to plan for, so for those of us that do I believe we have a responsibility to plan careful and wisely. This perspective continues to guide everything we do at the firm as we help families plan for the future with wisdom, care, and a deep respect for what truly matters.

                                                                                                                   David Hiskey

Mark Fitter has been with the firm for six years and brings those same values and skills to the firm, while also providing additional expertise on business and real estate matters.