Apr 6, 2026
This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her
Success Story, chats with her guest, Paula M. Jones. The
two talk about carving a niche in international estate law,
building a client base through strategic networking and referrals,
and breaking barriers for women leaders in the legal
profession.
In this episode, we discuss:
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How a “plain vanilla” estate case involving a longtime green card holder, a surprise $400,000 estate tax bill, and a postmortem QDOT opened Paula’s eyes to the complexities of international estate law and revealed “these are my people”, multinational clients like the family she grew up in.
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Paula describes the moment that cemented her five-year exit plan at her past law firm and her decision to start her own practice in 2015.
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Why building your own client base is the real job security in law, how Paula left with a strong book of business, and what it’s been like to grow from solo to hiring full-time employees, moving beyond contract support.
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How Women Owned Law entered her story, first as a founding-era member who believed women needed real business support, and later, as she returned for help navigating the next stage of growth, she joined a CLE committee and began mentoring newer members.
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Paula describes one of her favorite tools for managing entrepreneurial fear.
Paula M. Jones, founder of Jones Estate Group, has been practicing since 1999 and advising clients on all aspects of international estate law matters for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. She started her own firm in 2015. Client matters include efficient planning in regard to U.S. estate and gift taxation, qualified domestic trusts, residency determinations, tax treaty applications, pre-immigration planning, expatriation tax planning, administration of estates of foreign individuals with U.S. property, foreign account and asset compliance issues, and migration of trusts.
Paula is an adjunct professor at Western New England University School of Law, where she teaches International Estate Planning. She serves on the STEP Cross-Border SIG Committee and has authored several articles in respected industry journals such as Trusts and Estates, AICPA’s Tax Advisor, and the ABA’s Practical Tax Lawyer.
Website: https://jonesestategroup.com/
Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-m-jones-esq-b9b357113/