Jay Roadarmel, Founding Attorney
Two life observations led me to start this law practice.
First, I observed that when a family member dies, the grief process takes many forms. For family members whose loved one had a life plan, the inevitable sadness is often accompanied by celebration, fond memories, and an overall sense of peace. For family members of a loved one without a life plan, sadness is often accompanied by frustration, doubts, anger and a feeling of being overwhelmed.
Second, I noticed that most of us are good at planning for future events, but few of us apply this to planning for our death. Said another way, few of us have a plan to help our loved ones avoid frustration, doubts, anger, and feeling overwhelmed upon our death. We plan birthday and dinner parties, vacations, and home remodels. We save for retirement. However, the one inevitable thing in life (other than taxes), 70 percent of people never plan for.
My mission is to help you have a plan. And to make your life plan simple, easy and fill you with the good feelings that come from preparing for your family's future.
Peter Hatz, Associate Attorney
From a young age, I was instilled with a number of interests and lessons by my family.
Two of the most recurrent themes were a love of Michigan Football and taking care of the people you love. My grandfather took great pride in encouraging a passion in both. Leading by example, he was also my first introduction into the world of Estate Planning.
By ensuring he had a life plan in place, he saved his family from countless hours of frustration, uncertainty, and confusion. He took the time to meet with his attorney to craft a plan that ensured we had a clear and easy path to administration of his affairs. While he didn’t know it at the time, his plan was also a pivotal part in helping US take care of HIM in the final stages of his life.
Experiencing first hand the benefits of establishing a life plan, I knew that I wanted to follow my grandfather’s lead and do what I could to help not only my family, but the families within my community, navigate the same path.
I have been a licensed attorney in Michigan since 2009 and (more recently) a licensed attorney in California since 2022. My focus revolves exclusively around helping clients build a life plan to help navigate the turmoil that comes with end of life care, asset management and distribution, and helping safeguard their families.
Andrea Klooster, Paralegal
I am Andrea Klooster, a Paralegal at LifePlan Lawyer. You are most likely to talk with me when you call our office, schedule appointments, or send in your estate planning paperwork.
I joined LifePlan Lawyer in January 2023 when I saw a job posting that looked too good to be true, but turned out to be exactly as described. I love being part of a small family business that treats employees and customers as family. I’m not a member of the Roadarmel family, but I feel like I am, and like our clients are too.
I have seen some sad examples of what can go wrong without a good estate plan, and I love helping our clients ensure that their loved ones won’t have to go through such issues.
My husband and I have an adult son and daughter-in-law, a son in college, a daughter in high school, and two dogs.
Susan Gillaspy, Administrative Assistant
I am Susan Gillaspy, the Administrative Assistant at LifePlan Lawyer. You’re most likely to interact with me when you call our office or come in for a signing.
I joined LifePlan Lawyer in December 2019 when Debbie needed coverage while she was on a trip. I then realized that I was ready for a part time job as my sons were grown and did not need me at home as much.
Working at LifePlan Lawyer is meaningful to me because we are helping people handle complicated processes such as probate, trust administration, and end of life decisions. I enjoy my job because I love the sense of accomplishment I get from office work. Getting to see my best friends, Debbie and Jay, everyday is a huge motivator as well!