What do you think of when you think about visiting an attorney’s office? You may often envision a stuffy, up-tight attorney sitting behind a big desk in a tall office tower with their practice name on the side of the building. In many cases, you wouldn’t be wrong to think that. The team at Plopper & Partners is mixing it up in a very traditional industry and setting their own standards.

Licensed attorney, Nick Plopper, and Legal Assistant, Sara Jenkins, didn’t set out to break the mold of the traditional attorney office space. But that’s exactly what they did when they joined zWORKS last month. They made the decision based on a series of factors that led them to believe now was a good time to consider an alternative arrangement:

• Along with most of the business world, they learned from remote work during COVID. 
• Nick’s father and firm partner, Stephen Plopper, is nearing retirement.
• The expiration of their office lease in Carmel was looming.

“Sara and I both live in Zionsville, so we thought it would be great if we could find something closer to our homes,” says Nick. “We no longer needed an office, but we still needed a space to meet with clients. zWORKS was a great compromise with being able to reserve the space when we need it and meet with each other to get work done.”

Plopper & Partners has over 60 years of combined experience helping clients protect their futures through business law, real estate law, and estate planning. This also includes small and medium-sized business counseling and startup formation to help set a solid foundation from the start.

Their most rewarding work is in estate planning because it allows them to get to know their clients, help them prepare for the future, and ensure that their vision is carried out as they wish. Everyone can benefit from an estate plan regardless of family dynamics or financial status. This plan is a collection of documents that specifies how you want your assets distributed. 

The biggest advantage of estate planning is to avoid conflicts and disputes at death, which can lead to lengthy court battles and headaches. Disputed estates often take time, money, and cherished assets away from the loved ones or others you intended. Planning can eliminate this challenge for loved ones during a time when emotions and stress-levels are already high.

End-of-life planning may seem morbid, and clients may have difficulty thinking about their mortality. Once it is all completed, they often sigh relief because they know they’ve taken steps to protect their assets. Given the subject matter can be delicate at times, Nick and Sara were cautiously optimistic about how their clients would perceive their new office arrangements.

“We were definitely a little concerned how our clients would feel no longer going to our dedicated office,” says Sara. “But to be honest, we’ve received nothing but positive feedback, and no one has even batted an eye. It has even allowed us to say, “we can come to you, or we can meet you for lunch in the Village.”

Nick also mentions the other advantages they have already realized by joining the zWORKS community. Aside from walking to lunch and taking advantage of other Village businesses, it helps them grow their own business.

“It was like getting an instant raise, and we can invest that money in other ways,” says Nick. “We no longer have to worry about the overhead of the office. Sara no longer has to figure out why the internet isn’t working, or the printer is broken. Those things are taken care of at zWORKS.”

Sara agrees the move has been great for clients and the business.

“It has really increased our productivity. When we are together in a conference room, it creates a forced efficiency,” says Sara. “We meet with a client and then use the rest of our time together to accomplish a lot, then we can separate when we go home and get our jobs done.”

One final thought from Nick: “Go for it. Do it. You won’t regret it.”

Plopper & Partners is excited to be a part of the zWORKS community and they look forward to meeting the many members. They would like to extend a special invitation to all zWORKS members and supporters to receive a discounted estate planning package. Please reach out to Sara to set up a time to get started at sara@carmellawfirm.com.

Fun facts about Nick:

• Nick recently became a blended family of two sons and two stepdaughters. 
• Plays the didgeridoo
• Once a member of a Ween cover band

Fun facts about Sara:

• Sara recently celebrated 20 years of marriage and enjoys her two daughters
• Enjoys traveling, and her favorite trip so far was to Hawaii for her 20th anniversary
• Loves to cook