Tamara Wayland, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Temple Law School, has been practicing law for 30 years and has served in many important roles. “I’ve had the privilege of serving as a public defender, administrative judge, and civil litigator in the areas of civil rights and insurance defense,” Tamara explains. Now, she’s set up a small law practice in Evergreen, and has found a sense of purpose in working with clients during difficult times. “My motto is, ‘You deserve peace of mind,’” she says. For her divorce clients, “We try to help them see themselves on the other side, which is often very difficult. That is part of the process: saying goodbye to the past and embracing a new life.”
Tamara’s office, located at The Stone House in Evergreen (1524 Belford Court), is a small practice designed to aid families in need of guidance for sensitive situations. Wayland Law serves clients all over Colorado, but mostly in the mountain area, assisting with personal injury, estate planning and family law matters including divorce and custody matters. “I want people to have ready access to me,” says Tamara. “I have a small firm. It is just me, my legal assistant, Jody Dertina, and staff attorney Julie Nichols. [My clients] have my number, my email, and Jody is always there. When people are in crisis, I think it’s important that they have someone they can reach out to immediately.”
Tamara’s availability is rooted in a deep sense of community, especially in the Evergreen area. “My husband, Doug, and I have been married for 24 years, and we raised our children in Evergreen. We loved raising them in this community where we have many very close friends. It’s something special up here. We buy local, we volunteer in the community.” For Tamara, offering a local service is just as important as her patronage at local businesses. “When people call me, they’re largely from [the mountain area]. They don’t want to go down the hill, they don’t want the big law firms.” Clients seeking Tamara’s help want someone who understands them and their mountain way of life.
More than community buy-in, Tamara believes in being a good community member, a good neighbor. “I started this law practice in the throes of Covid, which made me reflect on how I was making a living. Doug encouraged me to open my own practice with the primary focus of helping people,” she says. “I feel like I have finally found the right direction in life. With the breadth of my experience, I’m in a good position to help people who have been injured through no fault of their own. I have a good perspective on how to counsel them and give them grounded advice.”
This is true for any nature of case, including family law, which can be delicate. “Divorce can touch on many things—bankruptcy, domestic abuse—and I am able to provide solid, usable advice.” In a similar vein, this is the peace of mind she provides to estate planning clients—and those who serve as their administrators. “I partner with an outstanding estate planning attorney, Julie Nichols, to provide a comprehensive will package, which includes a living will (end-of-life planning), a medical and financial power of attorney (POA), tangible and personal asset memoranda, and digital copies of executed documents. As part of our services, we also are available to the administrator should he or she have any questions about the probate process. Not many attorneys offer that continuing relationship,” she explains.
To learn more or get in touch with Tamara, visit waylandlawpc.com. To schedule a consultation, use the form or send Tamara an email.