About Us
Hi, I’m Nicholas Medley. In late 2013, I started Medley Law Firm with one goal: to treat my clients how I would like to be treated.
I grew up in the Florida Panhandle, and have a deep and abiding love for the Southeast and the people who live here. I became an elder law attorney because, as I got older, I saw members of my own family struggle with issues relating to incapacity, disability or death, and I knew that their situations could have been so much better if they would have had dependable legal help to rely on.
However, I also saw how too many lawyers did business: they tried to sell their clients one-size-fits-all solutions instead of actually listening to their needs, they billed for every little phone call and email, and they never followed up with their clients to make sure that everything was being done properly. Plus, if things did change, the clients never called their attorney, fearing that even a quick call would result in large bill from the attorney. Knowing that, it was no wonder that most people I knew put off going to a lawyer unless the felt they had no other choice.
I started my firm to provide my neighbors in Florida and Alabama a better way: a way focused on building a lasting relationship with my clients while still providing them with quality advice and services that are built to fit their individual situations. It’s not the usual way attorneys do business, but then again, I’m not your usual attorney. Contact me, and let me show you easy it is to start protecting you and your family’s futures.
What Makes Me Different
When you’re looking for an attorney, there are certainly plenty of people you can choose from. However, not all attorneys are created equal. Here are some things that set me apart from most:
Focus: I focus on specific practice areas: estate planning (wills, trusts and powers of attorney), special needs planning, nursing home Medicaid planning and applications, and probate estates. That’s it. I don’t practice criminal law, personal injury and wrongful death, bankruptcy, divorce or anything else that takes my attention away from these core areas. Because of this, I’m able to offer you experienced, knowledgeable and up-to-date advice on these complicated issues. However, if you also need help in any area I don’t practice in, I’m always happy to refer you to wonderful attorneys that handle those types of cases.
Flat Fees & No Surprises: I quote my clients inclusive flat fees for nearly everything I do. In other words, after working with you to determine what we should do, I give you one fee amount that covers our meetings, document preparation, phone calls and emails, court filings and anything else we have to do to meet your needs. I don’t bill you for every little communication, so you don’t have to worry about contacting my office with questions. By doing things this way, you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be charged and won’t find a surprise bill in the mail a month or two later.
Promptly Returning Calls & Emails: The biggest complaint most clients have about their lawyers is a lack of communication; you can never get them on the phone, and calls and emails take weeks to be returned (if they are ever returned at all). I know how frustrating this can be, which is why I make it a point to return your calls and emails as soon as possible, most often within 24 hours.
Keeping You Informed: The second biggest complaint clients have about their lawyers is that the lawyer doesn’t keep them informed about your case, leaving you wondering what’s going on and what the next steps are. I strive to keep you updated about the status of you case, and thanks to the technology used in my office, I’m able to instantly send you copies of anything I have on file upon your request.
Using Plain English: Many people avoid talking to attorneys simply because they think that every attorney uses “legal-ese”: complicated, hard-to-understand legal terms that are mostly Latin words anyway. Unfortunately, this is true for some attorneys, and it’s something I’ve always hated. The areas I practice in are critically important to you and your family, and you should be able to understand everything that’s happening at every step in the process. For that reason, I always make it a goal to explain what we’re doing in normal, everyday terms. “Legal-ese” is for law school textbooks, not real life.