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Hailey-Petty Law Firm: From the Governor’s Investment Office to Estate Planning Attorney

Not every San Antonio estate planning attorney comes to the field the same way: Pamela Hailey-Petty worked in the Office of the Governor of Texas as an investment officer before founding her estate planning practice in 2014 — a financial-sector background she applies directly to the asset-structuring side of estate planning work, from trust design to Medicaid asset protection planning. This profile is part of Awesome Attorneys’ coverage of San Antonio probate attorney options.

At a Glance

Origin & Background

Before founding her law firm, Hailey-Petty worked in the Office of the Governor of Texas in an investment-related role — professional financial-sector experience that predates and directly informs her current estate planning practice, particularly around asset structuring and Medicaid Asset Protection Trust planning. She earned her J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law and founded her firm in 2014, since expanding to a two-office practice spanning San Antonio and Austin. Her team includes additional attorneys such as Sharrissa Baeza, credited by name in multiple client reviews for expertise in trust complexities.

San Antonio Estate Planning Attorney Practice Concentration

As a San Antonio estate planning attorney practice, the firm handles wills, revocable living trusts, medical and durable powers of attorney, asset protection planning, and long-term care and Medicaid planning strategies, alongside probate guidance and business formation services. The firm structures its consultation process to be educational, including free public workshops covering common will and trust mistakes, and offers both flat-fee and hourly billing depending on client preference and case complexity.

Track Record

Specific case-count or outcome statistics were not independently available in the sources reviewed for this profile; the firm’s public record consists primarily of over a decade of continuous San Antonio and Austin estate planning practice and a strong accumulated client review history. Estate planning and probate outcomes depend heavily on the specific facts, assets, and family circumstances of each matter, and past experience does not predict or guarantee a result in any future case.

Client Voice

Reviews consistently describe the firm as patient and thorough with difficult, emotionally sensitive planning conversations. One client, planning for a child with a medical condition, described Hailey-Petty listening closely to particular needs and guiding the process despite the difficulty of discussing death and incapacity. Another reviewer specifically credited the firm with clear explanations that left them “feel[ing] confident that all our wishes for our children and our estate were well articulated.” Independent third-party review summaries also note occasional scheduling delays and additional charges for translation services as minor friction points, disclosed here directly rather than omitted, though reviewers consistently frame these as minor relative to overall satisfaction.

Beyond the Courtroom

The firm hosts free public workshops on common estate planning mistakes, an educational-outreach approach distinct from paid marketing content, aimed at helping prospective clients understand planning basics before ever engaging counsel.

Recognition

Board certification disclosure: this profile did not confirm Texas Board of Legal Specialization certification in Estate Planning and Probate Law for Pamela Hailey-Petty in the sources reviewed, and does not apply “specialist” language as a result. Her recognitions instead run through client-satisfaction-based review platforms and her firm’s sustained two-city practice growth since 2014, which this directory treats as meaningful but distinct from formal board certification.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Texas does not impose a state estate or inheritance tax, though federal estate tax can still apply to larger estates above the federal exemption threshold. Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, a stated focus of this firm given Hailey-Petty’s financial background, must generally be established at least five years before a Medicaid long-term-care application to avoid Texas’s Medicaid look-back penalty period — a timing requirement that makes early planning meaningfully more effective than reactive planning after a health crisis begins. Texas independent administration, available when a will specifically authorizes it or all heirs agree, allows an estate to be probated with substantially less court supervision than a full dependent administration, often reducing both cost and delay.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Hailey-Petty Law Firm’s clearest strength is a genuinely client-centered, educational approach to a subject many people avoid discussing, backed by a financial-sector background that adds real depth to asset-structuring and Medicaid planning work, and a consistent, specific positive review record across two Texas markets.

The honest trade-off is that board certification was not confirmed for Hailey-Petty in the sources reviewed, and independent review summaries note occasional scheduling and translation-fee friction points, though these appear to be minor relative to the firm’s overall client satisfaction record. Clients should confirm current scheduling availability and fee structure directly given the firm’s two-city practice.

Methodology & Sourcing

This profile was compiled from Hailey-Petty Law Firm’s own website (haileypettylaw.com), including its dedicated reviews page, Pamela Hailey-Petty’s Avvo and Justia attorney profiles, and independent third-party review aggregation and summary pages. Board certification status was checked against available public attorney biography and directory pages; none was confirmed. Statutory references were checked against Texas’s lack of a state estate tax, Texas’s Medicaid look-back period for asset protection trust planning, and Texas independent administration probate procedure as generally published. No case results, credentials, or quotes were invented; client statements referenced above are drawn from the firm’s public reviews page and independent third-party review summaries.

Publisher Disclosure & Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Hailey-Petty Law Firm, PLLC prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placements clearly labeled as such, but no payment of any kind determines inclusion in, or the content of, this editorial profile. This article is for informational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Hailey-Petty Law Firm or Awesome Attorneys.