Patricia De Fonte The Importance of Estate Planning

From Per Her Perspective · 00:53:45

Show by Marla Noel

Per Her Perspective with Patricia De FonteMarla Noel sits down with Patricia De Fonte, founder of DeFonte Law PC, to talk about building an estate planning firm around freedom, family, and a deliberately designed lifestyle. Patricia explains how she returned to law after years away, why she chose estate planning over entertainment law and litigation, and how coaching, hiring, and community shaped her business.This conversation connects business operations to real life: time, caregiving, capacity, and the practical consequences of not having your affairs in order.Key topicsHow Patricia built a boutique estate planning practice around a part-time schedule, a remote team, and a family-centered life.Why she left entertainment law and litigation, and how estate planning offered intellectually stimulating, emotionally satisfying, and financially sustainable work.What she learned from returning to school for an LLM in estate planning, probate, and trust administration.How coaching and peer groups influenced her business—including a coaching program after which she increased revenue by 30 percent.Her firm’s “urgent and important” rule, Friday team meetings, and methods for protecting focus.How the team uses Kaizen—small, incremental improvements—to refine client experience, technology, and internal processes.Why hiring earlier could have helped, how her operations director became essential, and why team chemistry matters.The value of professional networks like ProVisors when members focus on learning about one another’s work, not just exchanging referrals.Why estate planning can protect women and families, especially when caregiving, incapacity, or inheritance issues arise.Why freedom—of time, values, and how she works—is Patricia’s primary motivation.Timestamps00:00 - Patricia De Fonte’s background and boutique estate planning firm02:17 - Returning to law after raising a family and leaving entertainment law03:55 - Going back for an LLM and learning about estate planning05:06 - The entrepreneur incubator and a social media wake-up call06:37 - Family influences: a builder father and a structured mother08:50 - Realizing she could not commit to a traditional office job09:57 - Starting her practice from home and growing into office space11:09 - Mentors, peer support, and paying it forward13:39 - Why networking works best when you learn, not just refer15:30 - Family support and sibling closeness16:22 - Coaching, business growth, and the “urgent and important” rule17:36 - Friday team meetings and protecting focus20:03 - Hiring early and building strong operations21:09 - Why she wished she had hired an associate sooner22:41 - Team chemistry and choosing happiness over growth at all costs23:15 - Why process and client experience are not the same thing24:29 - Kaizen and continuous improvement26:26 - Trust, discernment, and lessons from business mistakes28:11 - How Patricia’s team might describe her as a boss29:30 - The recurring administrative tasks that frustrate business owners32:29 - Giftology, branding, and the significance of apple pie34:07 - The origin of the apple pie tree-of-life story37:24 - WPO, Allison Tabor, and the value of chapter culture40:00 - Peer review, clarifying questions, and lived experience42:49 - Five-to-ten-year plans and building a turnkey firm46:36 - Freedom as Patricia’s core motivation49:31 - Why estate planning protects women and families53:52 - Life insurance and the needs of clients in their 30s, 40s, and 50s54:41 - Final thoughts on probate and why estate planning matters at every income level

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