Paulmann brings compassion to job as legal assistant at Walny

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When Jennifer Paulmann works with clients, she always tries to put herself in their shoes.

“What if this was my mother, or my child, or my husband?” Paulmann said she asks herself.

Paulmann, legal assistant at Walny Legal Group, joined the firm in 2018 as an office administrator. As she became more familiar with the firm and its practice specialties, Paulmann took an interest in elder law and the difficulties facing families seeking elder law attorneys.

Six months into her job at Walny, she was promoted to legal assistant. Paulmann’s love for elder law is tied to her own experiences: She is the mother of an adult with a disability and, as a result, is familiar with guardianships, Medicaid and similar matters.

“I think this gives me a unique perspective on the process and what many of our clients go through,” Paulmann said.

Paulmann works directly with Avery Mayne, an elder law attorney at Walny. Mayne said Paulmann is able to deal directly with clients who feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained or heartbroken over the decisions they must make for their loved-ones.

“Jen understands the needs and wishes of our clients in a way that few others can and offers compassion on a very personal level,” Mayne said. “As an attorney, I am trained to advise my clients on the legalities of their situation and assist them with navigating the process of their situations, but I cannot build up and support our clients on a day-to-day practical level the way Jen does.”

One of the hardest parts of her job is trying to gain a greater understanding of important issues such as the Medicaid process.

“I am on a newly created paralegal committee with Wisconsin (National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys), and we are hoping to address some of those issues for paralegals/legal assistants like myself,” she said.