Eileen K. Wardwell
Eileen K. Wardwell has been a member of the Sullivan, Williams & Quintin/WQO team since 1997. Eileen was born and raised in Attleboro, Massachusetts, the eighth (8th11) in line of the Kane children. She graduated from Attleboro High School in 1982, and then graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a BA degree in 1986. After beginning her career in the field of social work, Eileen decided to move to California to attend California Western School of Law. She graduated in 1993 with her Juris Doctor degree, and moved back to Massachusetts, settling in Westport, to take the bar exam and begin her legal career.
Her experience as a lawyer began as a contract attorney, doing freelance work for numerous local attorneys, where she obtained practical experience in the areas of real estate, title examination and probate matters and attending court hearings. A chance meeting between Eileen and Sara O’Leary while doing title searches at the Registry of Deeds in 1997, led to her hiring as an associate attorney with the firm. She joined our busy practice, and gained the knowledge and experience that comes with working with a real estate firm, focusing on conveyancing, title examinations, title certifications, interfacing with title insurance companies, estate planning and probate work.
In 1999, Eileen left our practice to become the Clerk Magistrate for several Justices of the Bristol County Probate Division of the Massachusetts Trial Court. In a sweet twist of fate, this is a similar position that her mother, Irene Kane, had held with the Bristol County Probate Court in Taunton during her long career as a public servant. As Clerk Magistrate, Eileen was in court every day, working side by side with numerous judges and dealing with probate attorneys to assure that their cases were filed and processed properly. Being in the courtroom every day, she gained invaluable experience, learning and dictating the procedures for the petitioners to follow, and obtained a knowledge of the inner workings and personnel of the Probate Court, which knowledge continues to benefit her practice today. At this same time, Eileen was blessed to have her twin boys, Harrison and Justin, arrive on the scene. The structure of the full time Clerk Magistrate’s position became difficult to sustain, and Eileen once again joined the SWQ team in 2000, allowing her the part-time and family friendly flexibility that she needed with her young family.
Eileen’s areas of expertise include probate matters of many types, including the filing of wills, accounts and complex estate matters.
She is a member of the New Bedford Bar Association and the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts (REBA), has volunteered for the Westport Watershed Alliance and is a supporter of the Westport Food Pantry and several local charities that benefit womens’ shelters, organizing an annual clothing and food drive for their benefit.
Eileen lives with her dog, Blue, and often takes care of other dogs for friends and family. She is a certified yoga instructor, and is passionate about health and fitness. When she is not working, she spends her time at the gym, teaching yoga, and being a busy mom to her two boys, now in college.