Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Software
Languages
Timeline
Generic

MELISSA WHALEN

Fenton,MI

Summary

Legal professional with proven track record in providing comprehensive support to attorneys. Team-oriented and ability to adapt to meet shifting priorities. Skilled in document preparation, client communication, and valued for reliability and flexibility. Motivated to continually improve and extend personal skills and knowledge to attain increased responsibility and opportunities for professional growth.

Overview

30
30
years of professional experience

Work History

Paralegal

Huron Valley Law Center, PLC
06.2019 - Current
  • Assist in drafting and reviewing estate planning documents, including wills, trusts, and ancillary documents.
  • Communicate with clients to gather necessary information for trust administration and probate matters.
  • Prepare documents for, and assist clients with the trust administration process from beginning to end, including inventories and accountings.
  • Prepare and file all probate documents with various courts and assist clients with the probate process from beginning to end, including inventories and accountings.


Paralegal

The Sam Bernstein Law Firm
07.2016 - 05.2019
  • Reviewed medical records and prepare settlement demand packages.
  • Prepared correspondence to clients, attorneys and adjusters.
  • Prepared files to transfer to other offices.
  • Prepared files to close.


Paralegal

Oakland County Public Administrator
11.2014 - 07.2016
  • Prepared all annual accountings for the decedent estate department.
  • Prepared court documents in the estate and trusts department including Petition for Probate, Petition to Approve Sale of Real Estate and Petitions for Approval to Pay Attorney Fees.
  • Communicated with financial institutions and prepare paperwork to liquidate investment accounts, stocks and bonds.
  • Coordinated with realtor to list and sell real property.
  • Coordinated with estate sale company to sell personal property.
  • Communicated with Courts, attorneys and beneficiaries.

Paralegal

Stavale & Gemmete, PLLC
02.2011 - 10.2014
  • Prepared annual accounts and supporting documents for conservatorships.
  • Drafted simple to complex estate plans including documents to fund trusts.
  • Prepared documents for decedent estates to be filed with various probate courts.
  • Interviewed clients to obtain information required to draft documents and answer client's questions.
  • Prepared miscellaneous corporate documents.
  • Prepared individual and fiduciary tax returns using ATX program.

Legal Assistant

The Law Office of Colleen V. Kavanaugh
11.2007 - 03.2011
  • Reviewed case files and prepare documents from pre-litigation through settlement in the area of personal injury.
  • Prepared documents to set up conservatorships for settlements involving minors.
  • Coordinated depositions.
  • Transcribed dictation.

Contractor

Cypher Services, Inc.
02.2005 - 11.2007
  • Reviewed various legal documents and entered specific information into a searchable database according to Cypher Services Inc.’s standards and their client’s specifications.

Legal Assistant

Bloom, Kavanaugh, Lonnerstater
10.2002 - 12.2003
  • Reviewed case files and prepare documents from pre-litigation through settlement in the area of personal injury.
  • Interviewed potential clients to determine if they might have a case to be passed on to an attorney.
  • Prepared documents to set up conservatorships for settlements involving minors.
  • Coordinated depositions.
  • Maintained diary and calendar through Abacus.

Estate Planning Paralegal

Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki & Berg, P.C.
09.1999 - 10.2002
  • Prepared estate plans including wills, trusts, and documents pertaining to probate matters.
  • Communicated with companies regarding transferring assets to trusts and prepare the appropriate documents.
  • Prepared documents for yearly contributions to life insurance trusts.
  • Assisted in creating forms on HotDocs to better organize the department.

Paralegal

Davison Legal Associates
01.1998 - 09.1999
  • Draft documents in the areas of personal injury, breach of contract, wrongful discharge, and probate.
  • Perform computerized legal research utilizing Westlaw and drafted briefs based on research results.
  • Communicate with clients and various courts to obtain information and coordinate calendars.

Paralegal

Gradisar, Trechter, Ripperger and Croshal
02.1996 - 06.1997
  • Drafted documents in the area of personal injury and for the Department of Social Services.
  • Summarized depositions for use at trial.
  • Performed legal research.
  • Communicated with clients to obtain information.

Education

Paralegal Certificate -

Denver Paralegal Institute
Colorado Springs, CO
11.1995

B.S. -

Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI
06.1992

Skills

  • Proficient in MS Office including Word, Excel and Outlook
  • Proficient in Clio Manage
  • Proficient in Wealth Counsel
  • Court filing, in person and online
  • Client communication
  • Notary public
  • Attorney support
  • Teamwork
  • Problem-solving
  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Self motivation

Software

Wealth Counsel

Excel

Decision Vault

Microsoft Word

Clio Manage

Languages

English
Native or Bilingual

Timeline

Paralegal

Huron Valley Law Center, PLC
06.2019 - Current

Paralegal

The Sam Bernstein Law Firm
07.2016 - 05.2019

Paralegal

Oakland County Public Administrator
11.2014 - 07.2016

Paralegal

Stavale & Gemmete, PLLC
02.2011 - 10.2014

Legal Assistant

The Law Office of Colleen V. Kavanaugh
11.2007 - 03.2011

Contractor

Cypher Services, Inc.
02.2005 - 11.2007

Legal Assistant

Bloom, Kavanaugh, Lonnerstater
10.2002 - 12.2003

Estate Planning Paralegal

Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki & Berg, P.C.
09.1999 - 10.2002

Paralegal

Davison Legal Associates
01.1998 - 09.1999

Paralegal

Gradisar, Trechter, Ripperger and Croshal
02.1996 - 06.1997

Paralegal Certificate -

Denver Paralegal Institute

B.S. -

Western Michigan University

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