Marquette attorney starts experimental law firm to address gaps in services

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A Marquette-based attorney is shaking up the way people receive legal services.

Erica Payne started Taproot Law to provide legal services in a sustainable, innovative way to increase justice and provide legal services to underserved people.

She joins Tia Trudgeon and Elizabeth Peterson on Upper Michigan Today, but first, stories of the day.

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Coming from Crystal Falls, Payne says she’s from a community that doesn’t have a lot of money and is familiar with problems not being resolved because of it.

With Taproot Law, Payne and her team can provide streamlined services for a flat-rate fee.

After years of working at a traditional law practice, Payne says she noticed certain people who fell through the cracks and could not receive services.

These include people who can’t afford a lawyer’s retainer but need guidance, people who have a simple question for a lawyer to know where they stand, people who can’t get an initial consultation with a lawyer because office staff say their claim isn’t worth paying a lawyer, people who can’t find a lawyer and have to do it themself, people who want information before they hire a lawyer, and people who need a second opinion.

Attorney Erica Payne talks about her new, experimental law firm.

Payne says Taproot Law is a legal coaching service that allows staff to efficiently help people identify options and create a plan to execute after the meeting that honors their values and lifestyle. This also involves connecting clients to long-term services in and outside the legal field.

The attorney says she’s touring the Upper Peninsula this summer to learn more about rural communities and how her team can better serve them.

Learn more about the team at Taproot Law and the purpose of Attorney Erica Payne's U.P. tour.

You can learn more about Taproot Law, its staff, its mission, and its services at taprootadvocates.com. You can call Taproot Law for a coaching consultation at (906) 284-8426.

How to contact Taproot Law.

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