Marjorie Desmond

Hi. I’m Marjorie Desmond. I became a Personal Family Lawyer because I have a passion for families and making sure your wishes are carried out if something happens to you. I chose to practice in a way that provides thoughtful, continuing estate planning care – providing a customized plan that continues to work for you even as life changes.

In my practice, I focus on family protection, value-based planning, high net worth planning and planning for blended families. Whether you are married or single, a traditional family or a blended one, starting out or looking back on a life well-lived, I will help you to craft a plan that achieves your goals for your loved ones today and for years to come.

I attended Stanford University for my undergraduate education (1989), and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (1992). I was a Note and Comment Editor on Law Review and published my own article. After graduation, I practiced maritime law with a maritime law firm in Long Beach, CA and then moved to the large law firm of Graham & James, LLP in Los Angeles, handling maritime litigation and complex commercial litigation. I segued into public service in 1998, taking a position with U.S. Customs as in house counsel for U.S. Customs and Border Protection before moving to Arizona.

I was admitted to practice law in California in 1992 and Arizona in 2010 after our move to Scottsdale. I practiced commercial litigation in Scottsdale for several years before changing my focus to help people proactively plan to avoid litigation and protect their families through thoughtful estate planning. After seeing a number of young parents pass away, I wanted to make sure people had a plan for their families. I love helping people ensure their family will get through any emergency with as few legal problems as possible.

I am admitted to five Federal district courts, the United States Ninth Circuit, the Arizona and California bars, and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 2019. I am a member of Wealth Counsel and the Maricopa County Bar Association.

I deeply enjoy contributing to my community and have volunteered with a number of organizations – with and for my children as they were growing up, and my legal community, professionally.

I enjoy spending time with family, reading, traveling, playing classical piano and horseback riding. I have been married for 29 years and have two adult children and a Tennessee Walking Horse named Sunny.