Attorney Profile
Welcome. I would like to introduce myself to you and my practice philosophy. I am a solo practitioner with a small, client-centered private legal practice, which is dedicated solely to the practice areas of:
- Domestic Relations and Family Law
- Divorce Mediation
- Guardianship Law
- Conservatorship Law
- Alternatives to Guardianship & Conservatorship
- Elder Law Family mediation.
I have over 14 years experience in private practice and over 30 years of professional and personal life experience that has shaped my practice philosophy. I am dedicated to providing each of my clients with zealous professional, compassionate, and affordable expert legal representation. I believe in treating each of my clients as if s/he were my only client. To maintain a client-centered practice, I intentionally accept only a select number of clients in order to maintain the one-on-one client-centered legal representation that only a solo practitioner can provide to their clients.
The process of selecting clients that I choose to represent is based, first and foremost, not on finances, but on whether we will work well together to achieve your goals. Legal representation is often a long and stressful process and you and I may be working together for a long time, so we have to be able to do so harmoniously and respectfully.
In essence, what type of client is a good fit? In a nutshell, the clients that I work best with, and who achieve the highest personal long term satisfaction at the end of a case, are clients who are honest, have realistic expectations, are open to suggestions and legal advice, and put the best interests of their children (if they have any) first. I do not work well with prospective clients who have a “take no prisoners” philosophy!
My clients are from average Massachusetts middle-class families and very often believe that they cannot afford to hire a lawyer. I am strongly committed to making expert legal representation affordable through flat-fee and limited-scope representation, tailored to each of my client’s individual needs and personal circumstances. I no longer use hourly billing for the vast majority of my cases. This is based on my belief that "pro-se" representation – representing oneself – in the Probate Courts of Massachusetts, is a much more complicated, daunting, and frustrating process than most people realize and self-representation most often leads to bad results.
I represent clients in the metro-suburban Boston area including Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Worcester, and Essex counties. My offices are located in the Sherborn/Natick area and will soon expand to The Suites at Apple Hill. I also meet with clients, by appointment only, if needed in their homes. I offer all prospective clients a free thirty-minute telephone consultation.
Education and Memberships
Karen Lane earned her B.A. in Psychology and Art History, with honors, from Boston University, and her Master’s Degree in Teaching from Northwestern University. She received her Juris Doctorate, with a concentration in health law, from Suffolk University Law School. Attorney Karen Lane is a certified mental health attorney and a certified mediator. She has accumulated over 80 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) in mediation and collaborative negotiation in elder and family law and completes over 8 hours of CLE in mental health and elder law each year.
Attorney Lane holds membership in:
- Massachusetts Guardianship Association
- Massachusetts Association of Elder Law Attorneys
- Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Volunteer’s Lawyers Project (VLP)
- Senior Partners for Justice (SPJ)
- Board of Sherborn Council on Aging
Attorney Lane regularly volunteers to represent indigent clients Pro Bono, and volunteers as Lawyer of the Day at local Probate and Family Courts.
Attorney Karen D. Lane’s office is located in the town of Sherborn, which is centrally located in Middlesex County, 3.3 miles directly south of the Mass Pike, on the Natick/Framingham town lines. She represents clients throughout metro-suburban Boston in Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Worcester, and Essex counties. Please call Attorney Karen D. Lane at 508-655-5513 or contact her online today to schedule your free initial consultation and learn more about how she can help you and your loved ones with individualized and affordable family, guardianship and conservatorship and elder law legal solutions tailored to your indvidual and unique needs!