Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhea and Amil Johnson.
Rhea and Amil, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Our story started over dinner at Red Lobster. We had similar aspirations for ourselves but different interests. Amil always knew he would hang his own shingle one day but I was only interested in landing a good job and working my way up. We both landed jobs in government, me a public defender and Amil, represented the county in civil matters. We soon married and carpooled to work each day, both working for Fulton County.
It was just about two years before I struck out on my own, leaving Amil behind to tend to government law. It was scary at first, but entrepreneurship came a lot more naturally to me than I thought. Developing the business, marketing and meeting clients was fun at first. Then came Dalilah, our firstborn. Having my own law practice gave me needed flexibility but while Amil was on paternity leave with us, I leaned on him for support quite a bit. That was his entry to the practice. At the end of his three months, Amil decided it was time to relaunch the practice as a real partnership, and so we did.
Our law practice was general at first. We handled criminal cases, probate, family law and bankruptcy cases. Through Amil’s professional relationships, our firm served as outside counsel for the county handling property tax appeals too. Our practice took several turns before we began to specialize in real estate. With the economic downturn of 08, our focus shifted.
We saw an opportunity in the world of real estate. We maintained our practice but also worked alongside other firms for a few years to get the real estate experience we needed. We eventually became title agents to began issuing title policies and handling the full settlement process. Since that time, we’ve worked to be a premier law firm for agents, brokers and other real estate professionals.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
RS Johnson Legal was started in 2007 and the economic downtown of 2008 came shortly after. We faced a challenge weathering the ebb and flows of our practice for several years. We were still working through marketing strategies and learning how to network to grow a business. We had to be flexible and explore new practice areas. We had to cut back on overhead and manage our own expectations. We rebounded with time and improved upon these aspects of our business. However, we still have to manage our expectations and plan ahead to stimulate growth.
Parenthood and being in business has benefits but when business is good there can also be conflicts. Our kids have been troopers through long work nights and having to share us with our work. As they get older, there are more activities and schedules to keep up with. It is definitely a juggling act but we manage. We are partners in our work life and our home life and even though we naturally have different roles we make a great team.
Please tell us about RS Johnson Legal, PC.
RS Johnson Legal, P. C. is a boutique firm with a specialty in Real Estate and Estate Planning. Our Real Estate clients are mainly comprised of real estate brokers, real estate agents and mortgage lenders. The professionals we work with are service professionals that want to provide a superior customer service experience to their customers. Our boutique model is based in our approach to people. We know how important communication is. With large firms, people and details get lost in the shuffle and communication is not always a top priority.
On matters of Estate Planning we work with families to navigate the process of developing a last will and testament, making plans for their assets and leaving their families in the best financial position. We also help families make sense of tangled webs when they are faced with probate questions and even litigation. Every service we provide is tailored to fit the needs of the client. There are many nuances in the law and often times clients present to us with different needs and priorities. We try to meet people where they are and give them a full service for a reasonable fee.
Our practice is distinguished because we provide a client experience that is unparalleled. We have intentionally designed our outfit around meeting the needs of our clients. Our team is more communicative and responsive than the competition. We try to provide extra support when we see a need. We invest in building relationships with our clients. When we have an opportunity to help them improve their business or take an interest in their accomplishments, we enjoy doing it. As an added advantage, our vast range of legal knowledge and experience equips us with ability to provide a higher level of legal expertise. We use all of these assets to give each client a reliable and smooth closing experience.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If we could start over, we would have decided to specialize sooner. When you work in multiple areas of the law, it is more difficult to market to select clients. It takes longer to develop expertise and hone your skillset, and worst of all, you have to reinvent the wheel more times than not. Now that we have limited our practice to Real Estate and Estate Planning, it is much more manageable. The practice areas tend to intersect. Knowing both sides of the law and having a toolbox for each allows us to issue spot more accurately, and craft solutions as matters come up. This is good for our business but it also provides an extra level of support for realtors and other clients that we work with.
Pricing:
- Wills range from $450-$650
- Testamentary Trusts $1500
- Probate litigation fees range from $1800-$2500 retainer.
Contact Info:
- Address: 101 Beckett Lane, Ste. 102
Fayetteville, GA 30214 - Website: www.rsjohnsonlegal.com
- Phone: 4048626922
- Email: info@rsjohnsonlegal.com
- Instagram: rsjohnsonlegalpc_realestate
- Facebook: RS Johnson Legal, P.C. Closing Firm@rsjohnsonclosings
- Other: https://rsjohnsonlegal.com/real-estate-closings/
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