Grace Petz

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Albion College in 1999.  Thereafter, I attended the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law where I obtained my Juris Doctorate in 2003.  While awaiting the results of the bar exam, I worked for a prominent law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law as his assistant. 

This law professor provided much guidance to University of Detroit Mercy law students sitting for the bar exam.  During this time, I was bestowed with great responsibility to provide knowledge, experience and information to those law students sitting for the bar exam.  This experience made me realize how I wanted to start my law career.  It was not in the court room.  It was not in the board room for a business.  It was meeting everyday people that were actively pursuing a personal goal; and that goal being Estate Planning.

Once equipped with the understanding of my path, I was presented with a wonderful opportunity in May of 2004 to join Miller Shea, P.C. as an estate planning associate.  It is very rare to be able to start your legal career in the area in which you favored.  Many lawyers spend numerous years before they know what area of the law they would like to practice in.  I, fortunately, was given that chance in the beginning of my career to meet clients with personal goals and to help put in motion the necessary documents to accomplish those goals.  I learned how rewarding it is to help clients put a plan into action that would take care of not only them, but also their families.  

I soon thereafter became a frequent seminar presenter to many businesses throughout South Eastern Michigan.  This allowed me to not only speak as to the importance of Estate Planning, but also continue helping people.

In 2007, I was given the opportunity to take a more active role in the firm's management.  I headed our estate planning office in Southfield.  I also was involved in the management of the firm.  In the beginning of 2009, I was promoted to Director of Compliance for the firm.  This new challenge not only provided me an opportunity to help clients, but also to help my colleagues as well.

I now am a named partner of Shea, Aiello, Doxsie & Petz, PLLC.  I was featured as a legal commentator on Detroit's Channel 7 News wherein I discussed an array of estate planning concerns that were surrounding Michael Jackson's death.  I have spoken at a national conference for the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts on Estate Planning in Divorce and also for Metro Parent on Estate Planning for Special Needs Issues.

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