In April 2003 we used the Guild e-mail list to solicit recommendations for
disability insurance and attorneys who could help draft a will and powers of attorney
for health care and finance. Below are the responses
we received.
Attorneys
We had our wills and powers of
attorney and so forth done last year by Caroline Suissa, caroline@suissalaw.com. We chose Caroline specifically
because she is familiar with the issues of same-sex couples. I’d suspect
she’s also more open to atypical issues for single folks and anyone who
doesn’t have the two-kids-and-a-mortgage type of situation.
The lawyer I worked with to redo
my will is Wendy S. Goff at Graham & Dunn, 1420 Fifth Avenue, 33rd
Floor, Seattle, WA (206) 340-9633 (direct). Her specialty is estate planning and
writing wills. She’s very good.
Mary Ruth Mann, a Seattle
sole practictioner, is a superb lawyer--also an artist and terrific person.
Don’t have her card at present, but am sure she is in the phone book.
Stefani Quane is a lawyer
I’ve met through the Women’s Business Exchange, and
she advertises in the PCC paper.
Robert Morrison,
206-587-3737, <rmor2000@aol.com>, located downtown. He drafted my will,
and he’s very nice as well as competent.
Disability and liability insurance
I’ve had a relatively affordable
policy for more than 10 years from Mutual of Omaha. I pay about $350 a
year for coverage that insures a basic monthly payment for, I think, five years
of disability. I spoke with a Mutual agent here, and she said my New York policy
is better than the one she could offer here. I don’t know what that means, but
I’m sure it’s not too different.
Sandee Sandlin (425-774-9053,
sjsandlin45544@wradvisors.com) has handled that for me, with UnumProvident, but
I don’t know that I have a lot of faith in that company (was on 60 Minutes for
not paying in certain cases). I wonder how the main auto insurance companies are
for disability. State Farm has done a good job with any car-related problems
I’ve had and also with my accident claims last fall. Not exactly socially
responsible but...
Nowogroski-Rupp Insurance Group
(www.nrgseattle.com,
206-363-1110) is an independent full-service agency, with excellent customer
service and attention to individual needs. Handles liability insurance as well
as other kinds.
