Elizabeth has been in practice for over 17 years, first practicing alongside her father and founding partner, J. Thomas West, for nearly 15 years before his retirement in 2020. She is now the managing partner of the firm and focuses her practice on helping people with probate, elder law, while also continuing to practice personal injury law. She feels that her knowledge of the law started very early when she watched her father in action, even before she became a lawyer.
Elizabeth has a passion for educating clients on their options and helping them to find solutions. She says, “I love finding new way to explain complicated options to clients in a way that makes sense on an individual level, so that they really understand and grasp what we are trying to accomplish.” Elizabeth values each client and tries to really help each one, paying attention to the details of each case. She knows most of her clients need guidance on their options and she tries to do as much as she can to help tailor a solution for each client’s unique and individual needs. She says some lawyers miss the opportunity to really help because they are too busy patting themselves on the back to really help.
“I love the starfish story. An older man was walking along the shore after a storm had washed up many starfish and he was bending and picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. He was approached by a young man who said, ‘Sir, why are you throwing the starfish back into the ocean?’ To which the older man replied, “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don’t throw them back, they will die.’ To that, the young man says, ‘But, old man, don’t you know there are miles and miles of beach, and you can’t possibly save them all. In fact, if you work all day, you will not even save one- tenth of them.’ The old man listened calmly and then stooped to pick up another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He said, ‘It made a difference to that one.’
I think this story paints the perfect picture of what it is that we here at Kelly, West & Murphy and that I, as a lawyer, try to do every day. We can’t possibly solve all the world’s problems, but we can stop and help each client, one at a time, find the best solution for their situation. We find often clients want real-life, practical solutions, not litigation, and are so happy when we are able to offer a solution that maybe they haven’t thought of yet.”
Elizabeth is thankful for her husband and high school sweetheart of over 20 years, Jonathan Murphy, also of Dunn. They attend Divine Street United Methodist Church in Dunn, and together they have two children, Will and Addison.
To speak with a compassionate and seasoned attorney, please call Elizabeth at 910-893-8183. She looks forward to talking with you.