AREAS OF PRACTICE

One of the primary purposes of the McCarthy Law Firm is to be a caring, empathetic advocate who guides, assists, advises, and puts in place legal tools that will allow family members to do what their loved one cannot do for themselves, while protecting family members from the hardship, financial stress and grief that can occur when those tools are not in place.

If disagreements or legal disputes among family members arise after a loved one has passed, Steve has direct personal and professional experience – as a personal representative, a law firm client and a mediator – to help resolve those emotional issues, while trying to preserve family relationships.

In all areas of practice, it is the goal of McCarthy Law Firm to work with clients to make complicated situations and decisions as simple as possible.

COMMERCIAL & PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION

With a successful record of representing a wide variety of clients, from large consumer service corporations to small businesses and individuals, Stephen McCarthy has the knowledge and experience to manage a broad range of disputes through all aspects of litigation including arbitration, trials and appeals in state and federal courts.

Injury litigation can be prolonged, contentious and, often, highly personal. Clients seeking calm, clear and efficient resolution of their dispute reap the benefits from Steve’s experience in complex, multi-faceted, multi-party litigation while appreciating the personal attention of a small firm.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

For nearly 30 years, Stephen McCarthy has helped both policyholders and insurers to understand the contractual promises that were made and the benefits and burdens that come with making and accepting those promises. He offers coverage advice and opinions for insurance coverage including General Liability, Directors & Officers Liability, Environmental Liability, Homeowners, Aviation, Property, and Umbrella insurance.

Steve performs efficient, complete insurance coverage analysis and develops a plan for each individual client and provides sophisticated coverage guidance, claims handling assistance, risk assessment, and opinion letters. He has successfully litigated matters involving breach of contract, claims handling practices, bad faith, rescission, and declaratory judgment actions in state and federal courts.

CONSTRUCTION LAW

When a construction issue interferes with a client’s livelihood, Stephen McCarthy will provide advice, and representation when necessary, to resolve the problem as simply and quickly as possible. He works with owners, general and trade contractors, suppliers, sureties, and design professionals who require assistance with liens, claims for delays, acceleration, interference, defects, licensing, and resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation.

INCAPACITY & ESTATE PLANNING

Drawing on his personal experience on the client side of estate planning and guardianship issues, Stephen McCarthy strives to make complicated issues simple for his clients who are in the midst of personal crisis.

Guardianship

Seeking ways for clients to avoid guardianship proceedings is the main objective; however, it is sometimes necessary for families to pursue guardianship when it is the only way to help a loved one who is struggling with incompetency issues. Steve guides clients through the process and explains the pros and cons of a guardianship while working to minimize the costs and distress of this type proceedings.

Long-Term Care Planning

The goal is to help people protect their life savings while accessing better care. Pursuing alternatives to nursing homes is always a priority, but if a nursing home or other care facility is necessary, Steve will help alleviate the otherwise overwhelming burden of placing a loved one in a facility. This is accomplished by protecting the loved one’s life savings against catastrophic care costs and by providing knowledge and training to access the best long-term care.

Probate, Estate and Trust Administration

Steve has not only represented parties in probate and estate matters but also has direct experience as a personal representative for a loved one’s estate and as a trustee for a trust. He has been on the “client side” while administering an estate and has had to negotiate with and on behalf of relatives to resolve disputes.

Efficient, safe administration of wills, trusts and estates requires diligence, good communication and a strong fiscal understanding of each case. Through his personal and professional experience, Steve not only understands the legal issues but also the relationships of the people involved in the proceedings. He searches for ways to understand the parties’ issues and works to resolve them quickly and fairly.

SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING

With an emphasis on collaboration, Stephen McCarthy provides objective advice to established businesses in need of legal counsel in a variety of areas. Working together with clients, Steve applies legal principals, common sense and good judgment to determine sound strategies for solving issues. While consulting, his intention is to advise and provide information so clients become empowered to analyze issues and, when appropriate, handle them on their own – without the expense of retaining an attorney to represent them.