Fort Worth attorney Erik Martin says he felt compelled to find a way for his law firm to join the effort to support frontline workers – doctors, nurses and first responders – during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The result? His law firm – Martin Lawyers PLLC – began offering free “Emergency Estate Plans” for frontline workers, which includes a last will and testament, medical power of attorney and physician’s directive at no charge.
As of mid-November, the law firm had completed over $20,000 in pro bono legal work under the program, and Martin said he anticipates that amount will increase. The firm initially offered the program just for the months of May and June, but has decided to extend the program through the end of 2020.
Martin says the response has been tremendous.
“We’ve been contacted by dozens of nurses and other medical professionals to draft their free estate plans. They put themselves in harm’s way every day to serve and protect our communities, so the opportunity to give back to these frontline workers was an honor and a privilege, and something I jumped at immediately,” he said in a news release.
“The payoff is seeing the look of relief on their faces when it’s all said and done. That sense of accomplishment and knowing that their family would be protected if something happens to them is worth it by itself,” he said.
“Many of these doctors, nurses and other frontline workers have small children at home like I do, and being able to simply give them some peace of mind knowing that their affairs are in order should something happen to them is important to me as a lawyer, a father and a member of this community. We know they have our back and hopefully, through this small gesture, they know that we’ve got theirs,” he said.
Martin is the founder of Martin Lawyers PLLC (www.martinlawyers.com), an estate planning and elder law firm in Fort Worth.
Law firm offers free estate plans for health care workers during pandemic
