Robert deT. Lawrence, IV

Robert deT. Lawrence IV, a firm founder, likes to remind people that he started as a country lawyer and remains so at heart. He has an open-door policy helping every client who walks in the door. As the firm has grown, others at Walker Jones have taken on practices such as insurance claims, family businesses, real estate settlements, criminal, domestic relations, and litigation work, allowing Mr. Lawrence to concentrate on estates, trusts and real estate titles.

A recent advertisement for Mr. Lawrence in a local equine publication reads, “Country Lawyer: A View From Carter Hall. Supporter of Agriculture, Hunting, Land Conservation. Legal counsel to farms and farmers, stables and horsemen, riders and commuters since 1969”.

Mr. Lawrence says his enemies are delay, expense and uncertainty.

In pre- and post-death estate planning for individuals and families, he works to avoid paying unnecessary expenses and taxes. And, by reducing uncertainty, delay and expense are alleviated and stress is reduced on families who have recently lost a loved one.

Mr. Lawrence leads his clients to efficiently navigate the legal process. He advises and serves as estate personal representative and trust administrator. An experienced team supports expeditious performance of the representation, and at non-lawyer rates for related and essential non-lawyer services.

Over the years, he has discovered that when the process has a definite sense of direction, a certain schedule, and the parties feel a firm hand at the controls, most will go along for the ride when they see the train leaving the station. Mr. Lawrence believes that the key to making the train run, and run on time, is helping people understand the process and to know that they are involved. Feeling excluded makes people suspicious and uncooperative.

When he is not in the office, Mr. Lawrence and his wife Blair enjoy church, local history and community activities. He especially enjoys his farm, inherited from his family who have owned the land since before the War. Mr. Lawrence relishes the time he spends there with its future owners, his sons.