Lawyer Finds Niche Representing Gay Clients

A lawyer from downstate Illinois has developed a niche representing gay couples.

Bloomington lawyer Jon McLaughlin told Dolan Media Newswires that about a fifth of his clients are gay or lesbian. “My firm does quite a bit of estate planning, and I thought it would be nice for someone to do this,” said McClaughlin, who works for Dunn, Willard, Arkell, Bugg & Patterson.

McLaughlin said laws do not protect inheritance rights for his gay clients, so estate planning is important. “The number one issue is getting clients to realize that they actually do have most of the protections straight married couples have, but they must be proactive in seeking them,” he told the newswire.