Alteneder

Alteneder graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 1996 and worked for the Alaska Court system in establishing the Family Law Self-Help Center before opening her practice in September.

“Most of the people I saw getting help from the Help Center needed some legal advice, but for one reason or another never they never got it,” she said. “I think that is because if you go to a traditional law firm for help you need to pay a big retainer and then are billed hourly. That can get expensive, so I came up with my model.”

At Alteneder Law, clients can get legal advice on how to handle their own family law matters such as divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption and guardianship all at an hourly rate.

“I believe by only billing for the services I render that I can make legal help more accessible, while leaving the individual in charge of their legal matter,” she said. “Most of the time people just need to be pointed in the right direction or need an understanding of how the court system works. That can be as simple as a brief analysis of the case.

“But in other cases there is a need for full representation and case management by an attorney who specializes in a certain field,” she added. “That is where I can help. By reviewing a case I can help point a client in the right direction for how to move forward.”

In addition to striving to make legal advice more affordable, Alteneder is taking advantage of technology to make it more portable and accessible.

“By taking advantage of cell phones, the Internet and e-mail I can focus on creating efficiency and convenience for my clients,” she said. “All of the legal documents are digitized and given to the client so they can review them at their convenience.”

Alteneder Law can be reached at 242-4375. Alteneder only sees clients by appointment.

Alteneder is located at 13036 Old Glenn Highway, in the Al Bowler State Farm Building. Her office is accessible from the building's back parking lot.

Planning for the financial future is just as important now, with the nation in an economic crisis, as it is in the good times, said Herrington, who opened an Edward Jones financial services office in Eagle River on Sept. 29.

“If you're not planning for the future in the lean times like today, there is no way you can survive the good times later in life,” he said. “My goal is to assist people in preparing for their financial future and it can be done in today's economy with a little careful planning.”

Herrington, who owned Eagle River Liquor Store for more than 21 years, has changed his focus, taking the advice of his friends and entering the world of dispensing financial assistance.

“A close friend saw I was having success investing so he suggested that I do it for a living and help other people plan for the future,” he said. “That was over a year ago, so I applied to open an Edward Jones office. Since then the economy has taken a dive, but that is not a bad thing.

“In fact this is the time to invest,” he said. “Guys like Warren Buffett are investing in today's market and will make millions down the road because of it. I can help the average family from Eagle River do the same.”

The opening marks the third Edward Jones office in Eagle River; Bob Evans and Kirk Medders operate the others. Having two similar businesses in town doesn't concern Herrington.

“According to the folks at Edward Jones, the Chugiak-Eagle River area has enough people to support a fourth office,” he said. “And since it is one of the wealthiest communities in the municipality of Anchorage, there is plenty of money to go around.”

Herrington invites the public to join him at a grand opening celebration. The event will begin at 11 a.m. Dec. 5 at his office at 12812 Old Glenn Highway, Suite B2, in the Fire Lake Plaza mall.

Contact Herrington at 622-8881.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, November 13, 2008.