Personal connections are key for one LawBank co-working member

After several years practicing in the legal field, elder law attorney Sarah Golombek took a leap and opened an independent law practice this past summer. Her practice includes estate planning and probate matters, such as guardianships and conservatorships, as well as probate litigation.

Sarah Golombek

Sarah Golombek launched an independent law practice with the help of resources from LawBank

Golombek and her husband moved to Colorado from New York in 2005. She clerked for the Denver Probate Court judge while preparing to take the Colorado bar exam (she had previously been admitted to the bar in New York). After that, she worked for two boutique elder law firms in the Denver area.

Golombek said she had never imagined that she would start a solo practice, but with two small children under the age of 5, the promise of both professional and personal flexibility proved to be the motivation she needed.

“I love having the ability to choose the clients that I take on, to give them the quality attention they deserve, and also have the flexibility to take time off when I need to and spend time with my kids,” said Golombek.

Additionally, she now has the ability to schedule more coffee and lunch meetings with friends, colleagues and clients, as well as attend various networking events.

Golombek found LawBank through a friend shortly after opening her solo practice, and she loves the collaborative environment, as well as the administrative and peer support.

“I really loved the idea of LawBank. It’s a group of professional attorneys that you can network with, collaborate with and cross-refer cases to,” she said. “Also, the location at I-25 and Colorado can’t be beat.”

Golombek likes seeing many of the same faces each day when she arrives at work – something she felt was missing from the other co-working spaces she had considered, where people seemed a lot more transient.

“I know the people,” she said. “It’s more personal.”

Golombek particularly loves the café space located within the office, which offers a place for attorneys to meet in a more relaxed atmosphere.

The owner-partners of LawBank are another asset, she added, because they are “always trying to foster new opportunities for everyone there and they encourage collaboration between members.”

As an example, they schedule speakers who present at LawBank on law-related topics or business matters, such as how attorneys can maximize LinkedIn as a business tool.

“It’s more than just a space,” she said. “They really want you to succeed.”

In the few short months since she leased her office space at LawBank, Golombek and other LawBank members have already collaborated on cases and referred clients to one another. She is also thankful to have a support network of people who can help her navigate the ins and outs of operating a small business.

To other attorneys considering a move to solo practice, Golombek advises: “Surround yourself with people who can really direct you and guide you and, of course, a great space like LawBank helps as well.”