025: A Safe Space for Clients. Kristin Wilkinson, Esq.

Kristin represents clients in the area of civil litigation and business law, estates, and family law. What sets her apart from her competitors is that she strives to create a safe space for her clients and connect with them on a personal level.

Because clients tend to cross personal boundaries, maintaining a healthy distance while showing empathy is a skill Kristin had to master.

Kristin’s empathy and warm personality also influences how she runs her law business. She works with clients to provide flexible payment options and prepayment discounts, but she stands firm on getting paid for her work. She is the lawyer, but she is NOT the financier of her own work.

Hiring employees and being responsible for staff also helped Kristin to be more firm on billing issues.

Business tip: “Pay yourself first! Have a holistic view of your clients' situation, but don’t try to control everything your clients do.”

Book recommendation: Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line – by Heather Hendershot

The greatest advantage of building a law firm is that the firm’s culture can be customized to fit the owner’s personality. Kristin being a self-described “introvert’s introvert” built a firm that allows her to serve her clients and provide them a space to open up and ask for help.