All of us need an advocate from time to time. We need someone to help us take care of what matters most: our families, our businesses, our beloved pets, aging parents, a special needs child, our assets, and ourselves. Whether your assets, business, or estate are worth a few thousand dollars or several million, you need and deserve individual consideration and personalized solutions that address what matters most to you.

All of my life, I have been passionate about helping and protecting others, particularly animals, elderly, children, those with special needs, and “regular folks” just trying to do the right thing. I am a firm believer that you can’t do everything and do it well, so I concentrate on the practice areas that reflect these values and have personal significance:

  • Pet Planning, including Wills, Trusts & Powers of Attorneys
  • Estate Planning, Wills & Trusts
  • Probate & Estate Administration
  • Long-Term Care, Nursing Home & Medicaid Planning
  • Special Needs Beneficiary Planning
  • Succession Planning for Small Business & Family Farms

Many of my most influential life experiences shaped not only my decision to become a lawyer, but also the areas of law I gravitate towards and choose to devote myself to. To help you learn a little bit more about who I am and why I do what I do, I have included a snippet or two of personal experience under each of the practice areas listed above. I focus almost exclusively on these areas of law because I’ve been where you are, I understand your concerns, and I can help.

Every person, every family, and every situation are unique. No two are ever exactly the same. I am often asked by my clients, “What do most people do?” in this situation. The truth is that there is rarely an answer or solution that applies to “most people”. This is why a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work. One of the things I love best about being a lawyer is learning about my clients and then tailoring solutions to your individual circumstances, goals and needs. I can help you prioritize your objectives and identify potential problems you may have overlooked by simplifying complex legal issues and providing answers you can understand and act on.

Being an attorney isn’t just a job to me, it’s a chance to positively impact someone’s life by offering help when needed and making something difficult a little bit easier. It’s also an opportunity to positively influence our community at large by sharing knowledge and encouraging planning for the future.

Education

Practicing law is a second career for me.  Before going to law school, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Iowa State University, began master’s degree course work and research in animal nutrition and immunology, and worked in the animal nutrition industry.  Like many people, my first career wasn’t my forever career.  I was fortunate to find the meaningful work I was looking for by attending law school and graduating from the University of Cincinnati School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 2003.  

Law Firm

Since that time, I am still practicing law with a successor of the first firm I clerked for during law school.  As a mid-size, local law firm representing clients nationwide, Wright & Schulte, LLC offers the best of both worlds: the knowledge and experience expected from a larger firm combined with personalized legal services and sustainable relationships of a smaller firm.  I feel fortunate to have joined a firm that allowed me the freedom to pursue knowledge and experience in legal practice areas that I enjoy and find personally meaningful. 

Professional Affiliations

I am currently a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, OSBA Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section, OSBA Elder and Special Needs Law Section, OSBA Animal Law Committee, American Bar Association, ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, and our local Dayton Bar Association. 

Life Outside the Office

When I’m not helping clients, I enjoy teaching fellow attorneys, other professionals, and members of the community about my areas of law through continuing education and speaking engagements.  In my free time, I can often be found on a local hiking trail, playing with my dogs, working with a rescue dog that needs rehabilitation, or in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes. 

Meet My Family

Magic is a Rottweiler mix that neighborhood kids found tied to the railroad tracks, severely injured and so weak from malnutrition she could barely stand.  Though she had no reason to expect positive experiences with people, Magic considers everyone a potential friend (if you don’t mind a little slobber).  I intended to rehab and rehome her, but “mysteriously” found fault with every potential adopter.  I couldn’t be happier that more than a decade later my house is still her home.  Magic is a true adventurer and her favorite things in life are going new places, meeting new people, and trying new things.  She is also a pretty good people trainer and loves to find new ways to get me to dispense treats and chewies on demand!  Magic is spoiled to the extreme (and we both like it that way).  In her downtime, she loves napping in the sunshine and also claims a recliner in our living room as “hers”.  

 

Callan is a pit bull who was badly burned and suffered a broken leg and other injuries as a puppy.  Fortunately, his abuser was caught, criminally prosecuted, and successfully convicted.  Understandably, Callan didn’t trust people to do the right thing and he had a hard time learning how to behave respectfully and communicate without using his teeth.  So, he lived in the shelter for many months before a volunteer reached out to me.  I am happy to report that Callan has excelled in his new life.  He still holds some grudges against people and likes to keep his distance from those he doesn’t know.  But, like many pit bulls, Callan is incredibly smart and loves learning new things.  When I don’t have time to teach him something new, he makes up his own noisy but very creative games with half a dozen bright plastic buckets on our driveway.  Callan is an unapologetic toy hoarder and he always knows exactly where he has stashed all of his favorite tennis balls.  If you look closely, you can see five tennis balls he is keeping watch over in his bed.    

Aiysha is the newest member of my family.  She was dumped in the country to fend for herself shortly after giving birth.  It took several weeks to earn her trust, slowly getting closer and closer.  Then, one morning she showed up at my front gate, ready to give me and a different kind of life a chance.  Aiysha was thrilled to discover so many different kinds of dog toys at our house and she loves, loves, loves to play!  (She is still learning not to just grab everything she wants!)  This silly girl is slowly building her confidence, making a few friends, and learning that every new person is not a threat.  Aiysha is super athletic and enjoys anything that involves running and jumping.  Her favorite activities are chasing her balls, playing tug, chasing cars down the fenceline, playing with Magic, chasing squirrels and rabbits, and splashing in any kind of water (including the downspouts when it rains!).  With her seemingly limitless energy, I hope that Aiysha can eventually become my trusted hiking partner.