John Hilton

For as long as I can remember, I have been helping people. As a young man, I travelled with my family throughout Mexico giving food and clothing to the poorest of the poor. I later studied to be a church pastor; however I found my true calling when I became a paramedic and discovered the difference I could make in people’s lives ministering to their physical, mental, and emotional injuries and illnesses. I also discovered that I loved to teach, and spent nearly as much time training medical professionals as I did treating patients.

Following retirement after 20 years as a Flight Paramedic and emergency medical services educator, I took a very rewarding position as an industrial Health and Safety Manager, where I developed systems and processes to improve the workplace safety of 1,500 employees. I loved the job, and I also got to teach health and safety best practices to the company’s managers and supervisors! That role ultimately expanded into Human Resources/Training and Development, where I had the opportunity to develop skills in investigations, employment practices, and employee advocacy and counseling.
I developed additional business acumen when I became the Director of Clinic Operations/Risk Management for a rural hospital. Within a couple of years I was promoted to Hospital Operations Officer, where I focused on manager development and process improvement. There was little more rewarding than seeing my managers learn to develop and implement systems and processes to improve performance quality and patient outcomes.

As a lawyer, I bring this lifetime of service experience to my practice. The biggest lesson I learned throughout my career is that every person has a meaningful story behind whatever situation they find themselves in. Discovering that story reveals the values, fears, goals, aspirations, concerns, and doubts that motivate that person, and allows me to guide and counsel each person toward the best possible outcome.
On the personal side, I am married to an exceptionally talented nurse practitioner, and together we raised five boys into excellent men. I now have two beautiful daughters-in-law, three amazing grandchildren, and three elderly Great Danes.
Of my five sons, one is particularly precious to me. Even as a grown man, Anthony has physical and developmental challenges that will always make life more difficult for him. Like any parent of a child with special needs, I have spent my entire adult life wondering how he will survive and thrive without the care, protection, and advocacy of his mother and father.
Anthony is one of the reasons I decided to counsel families to develop estate plans in a new and better way. I want other families to also have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that not only are their loved ones taken care of financially, but they will also have proper care, guidance, and support even after the death or incapacity of their parents or caregivers.
So, there you have it. I am not your typical attorney. I’m still a teacher at heart, and I enjoy teaching my clients what they need to know so that I can provide expert counsel to help them make good legal decisions. I have also been a consumer of legal services, and I abhor the uncertainty of the “billable hour” model of client representation. Therefore, I only bill on a flat-rate fee basis. You will know before you agree to hire me exactly what my services will cost you. I value relationships, and I work hard to earn your loyalty by ensuring that your experience with me is unlike any legal service you have ever had or imagined.