Nicole James
Live Your Best Life. Protect What You've Built. Leave a Lasting Legacy.
I partner with families and business owners to protect what matters most. With 25+ years of experience in both law and financial services, I don’t just draft documents—I build relationships, listen deeply, and create plans that reflect your real life, your values, and your vision for the future.
Our Firm Promise — What We All Stand For
We are called by what keeps you up at night
and the dreams that get you up in the morning.
If you built it, we’ll preserve it.
If you’re just beginning, we’ll lay the foundation.
If it’s complex, we’ll make it simple.
If someone says it can’t be done, we’ll already be doing it.
We have the heart and the mind to be the firm your family and your future deserve— invested, fierce, warm, and unwavering.
My Story
I founded the Law Offices of Nicole James because I believe your life’s purpose and legacy are worth protecting. My path to estate planning wasn’t a straight line—and that’s exactly what makes my approach different.
With over 25 years of combined experience in both law and financial services, I bring a perspective most attorneys simply can’t. I’ve sat on both sides of the table—as a legal advisor drafting trust documents and as a financial services executive managing billions in assets. That dual lens means I don’t just understand the legal structures; I understand the real-world financial complexities behind every family’s plan.
I earned my Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and my Bachelor of Business Administration from Boston University. But what truly shaped my practice was spending years in the financial services industry, leading organizations, building teams, and serving communities. That experience taught me how to listen, how to lead with empathy, and how to solve problems that don’t fit neatly into a box.
Good estate planning isn’t about dwelling on worst-case scenarios. It’s about giving yourself the freedom to live fully, knowing that you, your loved ones, and everything you’ve built are protected.
25+
Magna Cum Laude
Dual Expertise
What Sets Me Apart
Many attorneys can draft a will or create a trust. What I offer is something deeper—an approach shaped by decades of real-world experience on both the legal and financial sides of planning.
💡 Business Acumen Meets Legal Skill
Having led financial institutions and served as a CEO, EVP, and General Counsel, I understand the practical business realities behind every plan. I create strategies that work in the real world, not just on paper.
🤝 Relationships, Not Transactions
The individuals, families, and business owners I work with are special to me. I respect our relationships and invest the time to truly understand your unique circumstances before crafting a single document.
🎓 A Lifelong Learner
From AI and business strategy at MIT Sloan to product management at Emeritus, I’m constantly expanding my knowledge to bring the most current thinking to your plan—because the world doesn’t stand still and neither should your planning.
❤️ Heart-Centered Practice
Estate planning is deeply personal. I approach every conversation with empathy, warmth, and care—guiding you through emotional conversations with your loved ones and the decisions about the legacy you want to leave behind.
🌐 Community-Rooted
From 14 years as a foundation treasurer to founding the Shirley James Foundation for Children and Families through our firm—advocating for children’s rights and empowering families through legal education—my commitment to community isn’t just professional, it’s personal. I believe in giving back as much as building forward.
🛠 Practical, Proven Solutions
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all planning. Every plan I create is customized to your family’s relationships, your values, and your goals—with the practical wisdom that comes from decades of experience.
What I Believe
A common misconception about estate planning is that it only deals with what happens after you’re gone. I believe good estate planning involves planning for every phase of your life—meaning we work together to start designing the life you want for yourself today.
Each day, we deserve to live a life that's going to bring a smile to our faces. Estate planning helps that idea become a reality.
I believe estate planning is for everyone—whether you are starting a young family or planning during your retirement years, you deserve to take the necessary steps to ensure you and your loved ones are taken care of. My approach encourages meaningful conversations with your loved ones and creates a roadmap for every phase of your life, not just its end.
Throughout our process, I encourage you to reflect deeply on your wishes at every stage of life. We cover everything from who will make critical medical decisions to your preferences about the simple comforts that bring you peace—whether that’s reading, sitting in the sunlight, or spending time with loved ones. These details make the difference between plans that exist only on paper and plans that genuinely support a fulfilling life.
How We Help
People come to me with different stories, but a few core concerns show up again and again: caring for family, protecting what they’ve built, planning for the future, and simplifying complexity. My work is organized around eight planning paths, so you can immediately see where you fit and where to begin.
For Families & Individuals
👪 Families
From families just starting out to those that have grown and changed over time—guardians, wills, directives, and Family Future Plans that keep your loved ones supported when life changes.
📅 Planning in Your 50s & 60s
As work and family responsibilities shift, we build Life & Legacy Roadmaps that coordinate savings, benefits, and trusts so you step into your next chapter with confidence.
🌞 Enjoying Life After Work
We help you make your money last, plan for health and long-term care, and create clear instructions for how you want to support children, grandchildren, and chosen family.
💛 Caring for Special Needs
We design plans that coordinate public benefits, family resources, and trusts so a child or adult with special needs is supported for life—with security and dignity at the center.
For Families & Individuals
💰 Financial Security & Legacy
We coordinate your income, investments, and trust-based strategies—working closely with your CPA and financial advisor—so your growing wealth supports your life and the legacy you want to leave.
📜 Tax Planning with Trusts
We design trust-centered strategies—revocable and irrevocable trusts, GRATs, CRTs, life-insurance trusts, and more—to reduce estate, gift, and income taxes while supporting who matters most.
🏭 Family-Owned Businesses
We help structure, protect, and transition family-run businesses—farms, dealerships, HVAC companies, restaurants, and shops—so they can thrive across generations while preserving family harmony.
💼 Business Formation & Succession
From choosing and forming your entity to planning an eventual sale or next-generation transition, we align your business decisions with your personal wealth and legacy goals.
Credentials & Commitment
🎓
Suffolk University Law School
Juris Doctor, magna cum laude
📚
Boston University
Bachelor of Business Administration
🤖
MIT Sloan School of Management
Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy
💻
Emeritus
Product Management and Strategy
🏠
Licensed Attorney Broker
Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons
👥
Professional Memberships
NAELA • Academy of Special Needs Planners • Wealth Counsel
Community & Service
👶 About the Shirley James Foundation
I founded the Shirley James Foundation for Children and Families through our firm because the same values that drive my legal practice—protecting families, empowering people, and planning for a secure future—should extend to those who need it most. The Foundation provides comprehensive advocacy and support for children and families navigating complex legal and social systems, championing every child’s right to safety, education, healthcare, and family unity regardless of their background or circumstances.
Through legal education, community partnerships, and policy advocacy, the Foundation empowers families to build stable, secure lives—the same mission that sits at the heart of everything we do at the Law Offices of Nicole James.
Awards & Recognition
Speaking & Education
I regularly present to business groups, professional associations, and family enterprises on topics that matter to the people I serve. If you’d like me to speak to your organization, I’d love to hear from you.
💼 Business Succession Planning
How We Work Together
Client care is at the center of my practice. I work around your schedule, guide you through emotional conversations with your loved ones, connect you with trusted financial advisors, and take the time to ensure you truly understand every document in your plan.
My firm works with you every step of the way—from the initial consultation through to every annual review. Once your estate plan is completed and signed, we assemble an organized planning binder for you and your loved ones to reference as needed, and we schedule complimentary annual reviews to ensure your plan continues to reflect your values. As your life changes, your documents change alongside you.
Our Proven Process
1
💬
Listen & Understand
We begin by hearing your story, relationships, worries, and dreams—so we know what you’re truly trying to protect
2
💡
Clarify & Explain
We translate complex legal and tax ideas into clear, practical options you can feel confident choosing between
3
📝
Strategize & Plan
Together, we design a tailored plan that fits your stage of life and can adapt as things change
4
✍️
Execute & Support
We put the plan in place, coordinate with your CPA and advisors, and remain a steady resource as your life evolves
What You Walk Away With
When you work with me, you don’t just get documents—you get a complete plan, a trusted advisor, and lasting peace of mind.
📝
A Customized Estate Plan
Wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney—tailored to your life, not a template
📚
An Organized Planning Binder
Everything in one place for you and your loved ones to reference when it matters most
🤝
A Trusted Team Around You
Coordination with your CPA, financial advisor, and insurance professionals so nothing falls through the cracks
🔄
Complimentary Annual Reviews
If your life changes, your plan evolves with you—so you’re always protected
Ready to take the first step? I’d love to hear your story.
Attorney Advertising. This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Each family’s situation is unique and requires personalized legal guidance. Viewing this website does not create an attorney-client relationship.