Hours
We are generally available for consultation Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. We realize, however, that these times might not meet everyone’s need. We are happy to meet evenings, early mornings, and at other times on weekends, as your needs may require. We work by appointment, so please contact us to schedule yours.
Our Approach
We want you to be satisfied. That starts with providing good service. Part of that service level is merely what should be expected in any business relationship: courtesy, good communication, and follow through. We will keep you apprised of the progress of your matter. We will promptly return telephone calls and emails. If we tell you we will do something, we will do it. Unfortunately, in this day and age, courtesy, good communication and follow through are the exception rather than the rule. But we will try to do more.
Going to see a lawyer is usually prompted because someone has a problem or other matter important to him or her. We want you to know that we understand that if there is a problem to be solved or matter to be handled, we will do all we can to make sure that the problem is resolved or the matter handled to your best satisfaction under the circumstances, and to make the process as easy for you as possible. We will help you focus on what we believe is in your best interest.
While we will explain to what may be legally possible, we will also explain the practical and economic impact of a potential course of action. If we think a course is legally permissible, but unwise, we will tell you so. A guiding principal of our firm is Doing Right and we will try to help you do the same.
We will explore with you various options available to you to obtain your goals.
We will explain what any documents you may be signing mean. We want you to understand what the documents do or don't do.
As an example, if you engage us to prepare a Will, we explain to you how a Will works, the difference between Probate Property and Non-Probate Property, and how a Will applies only to probate property. When you come in to sign the final document, we take the time to explain what the various provisions mean, what the benefits are, and what any potential pitfalls may be. We will also explain what other actions you might want to take after the documents are executed.
We are a Team. While you initial contact may be with one of our attorneys, other attorneys or staff members will also be involved in your matter. In this way we will provide the most cost effective service and efficient service. While staff members cannot give legal advice, feel free to ask the questions. If they can answer it, they will, and if not, they will forward you inquiry to someone who can answer it.
The Team
The firm consists of Benjamin F. Farah, Kelly L. Roberts, and John E. Kohler.
Ben Farah has been practicing since 1981, initially with a small firm in downtown Cleveland, then opening his office in Rocky River in 1985. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the George Washington University, and received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University. He practices primarily in the areas of Estate Planning, Probate, Business law and Real Estate law. His practice finds him writing wills for individuals on one day, assisting people in forming a high technology company with dreams of going public on the next day, and helping a business purchase an industrial real estate for its plant on the following. He resides in Rocky River with his wife, Ann, and has two children.
Kelly Roberts is an associate with the firm, and has been practicing since 2006. A graduate of the College of Wooster and the University of Akron School of Law, Kelly practices in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate law. She is a volunteer Guardian Ad Litem for Voices for Children in Lorain County. She also serves as a regulatory coordinator in the Department of Radiology at University Hospitals of Cleveland. Kelly resides in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
John E. Kohler is of counsel to the firm. John has been practicing since 1969, most recently with the firm of Paynter, Kohler and Wagner in Rocky River. He has served as Magistrate with the Probate Court for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and has served as a Title Officer for Chicago Title, Land Title Guarantee & Trust Co., and Continental Title Agency. He received a BA degree from Fenn College and his J.D. from Cleveland Marshall Law School. He has served as an instructor in Real Estate Law and Commercial Law for Cuyahoga Community College, Dyke College (now Chancellor University) and the Savings & Loan Institute. He served as a speaker/lecturer in the areas of Probate and Real Estate Law for the Cleveland Bar Association, the Cuyahoga County Bar Association (both now the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association), the Cleveland Area Board of Realtors, the Ohio Land Title Association, and various other bar associations and real estate boards throughout Ohio. He is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and is heavily involved in several fraternal and charitable organizations. He resides with his wife, Diane, in North Ridgeville.
Jack Miller (1935-2009) was of counsel to the firm. Jack served as a general counsel with Sherwin Williams until 1981, and then founded the Westlake law firm of Childs Miller & Associates, Co. LPA with Alan Childs. Jack practiced in the areas of business and estate planning, and engaged in litigation. He lived in Bay Village with his wife, Carolyn.