I leave to my husband, Dom Witte, the sum of Five Dollars,to be given to him at the rate of ten cents a month, because he was so good to me.

From the will of Barbara Wittte.

Estate plans that disinherit or antagonize beneficiaries may invite challenge. If, like Barbara Witte, you want to have the last word, be careful.

• Use a no contest clause that complies with the latest California statute on no contest clauses.
• Think carefully about whether you want to name the person as a beneficiary at all, given that it may increase their rights and access to information about your plan.
• Where there is a chance of heading off the unhappiness, hold a meeting or several meetings while you are still alive to explain your reasoning.

I am delighted to announce that the Law Office of Diedre Wachbrit has been named as one of the 25 Best Small Companies in America by Working Mother Magazine.

The inaugural Best Small Companies issue (April 2006) highlights companies that create innovative family-friendly workplaces.

All of us at the firm (Diedre, Stella, Jenni, Sara, Carol, Dianne, Tammy, Whitney, Alysha, Lindsey and Anna) thank you, our clients and supporters, for making our dream possible: a law firm that meets the most important needs of our clients’ families while we meet our own families’ needs.

From Working Mother Magazine, April 2006:

If you’ve ever dreamed of being your own boss, you’ll easily relate to the passion that fuels the 25 businesses we’ve selected as our inaugural Working Mother Best Small Companies.

What they share is innovative family-friendly workplaces that women value. Even without the deep pockets of major corporations they’ve found creative ways to take care of their employees.

Company The Law Office of Diedre Wachbrit
Location Westlake Village, CA
Employees/Moms 12/8
Founded 1999
What They Do Provide legal services for families, primarily those with minors, special-needs children or businesses
How They Flex Every employee at this law firm flexes. Eight work a compressed week, three telecommute, and seven participate in an informal job-share program. The schedule is described as a puzzle that’s put together differently every few months to accommodate each employee’s needs. And at this firm, moving doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of a job: One mom now works from Ireland, and another is working from Tennessee.
Something Cool Diedre meets with each employee to explore how the firm can help her grow. A lactation room makes it easy for working moms to pump—and should they have a concern, they can ask the boss: She’s a La Leche League leader.”