Ronda Lewis is a highly educated attorney. Born in the south, she grew up in Southern California. Always studious, she received a Ph.D. in English and then went to law school. Ronda met her husband-to-be while both were working as attorneys at a big law firm. They both were experts in inverse condemnation and, eventually, started their own law firm to focus on that specialty.

Today, they have two children. Ronda works part time at the law firm and teaches legal research and writing at a local law school. Her flexible schedule allows her to be available for the children.

Ronda’s husband came from a middle class family. His mother invests in apartment buildings, and, in recent years, Ronda and her husband have followed her lead, investing in limited partnerships with real estate interests in California and Las Vegas, Nev.

They received a large sum of money from a settlement and invested it in a defined-benefit plan set up just for them. They took that action based on the recommendation of their accountant, who is affiliated with a financial planning firm.

Ronda is concerned about the future of the law firm because so much time has been spent on one, very large case that efforts to recruit new business have been minimal. The specialized nature of the couple’s expertise is limiting, as well.

Typical of a family with two attorneys, Ronda and her husband are responsible for many of the affairs of the extended family. Her father-in-law has Alzheimer’s disease, and while the requisite trusts and estate planning tools have been put in place, Ronda spends a lot of time replacing air conditioning units in his rental units and dealing with other landlord-related issues.

Meanwhile, Ronda wonders whether her husband is facing a midlife career change. “There’s no urgency,” she says, “but he’s looking for a sense of purpose.” She also worries about acquiring debt. “When you know that in a few years you will be inheriting some wealth, it’s easy to lose your focus. That’s what my husband has done. It’s a weird dynamic.”

Ronda is most concerned, however, with developing values and encouraging her children to become as well educated as possible. As she says, “It all lies in the education.”

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