When the Worst Happens, What Then?

Lynne Yates-Carter and Valerie Houghton

Lynne Yates-Carter has been practicing family law for thirty-nine years and has been a Certified Family Law Specialist since l982. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a past president of its Northern California chapter. She is a former chair of both the California State Bar Family Law Section Executive Committee and Santa Clara County Bar Association Family Law Section. In l989, she was selected as one of California’s most respected family law attorneys by the California Lawyer. She has lectured extensively on family law issues. She has served as a special master, discovery referee, arbitrator and expert witness on family law issues.

Valerie Houghton is a marriage/family therapist, a registered nurse, and an attorney-mediator. She has worked with children and families for more than thirty-five years. She pursued her commitment to advocacy and social justice, enrolling in law school, where she earned her J.D. and Public Interest Law Certificate. She holds three licenses in the applicable fields. She maintains a private psychotherapy/family mediation practice in San Jose, California, where she works with families, couples and individuals. Additionally, she maintains a limited forensic practice where she focuses on child custody, parent counseling, family mediation and specialty consultation.

Many attorneys are sole practitioners who often have no disability insurance. When disaster strikes (extended illness, surgeries, family issues requiring substantial time), what can a sole practitioner do?