MEET PHRANCES
NEW LEADERSHIP DELIVERING RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
I have practiced law as a solo family lawyer in downtown Middletown since 1994. Since I started my law firm I have always included family matters and, specifically, Probate matters in my scope of practice since it allows me to assist people and families with their legal needs and truly make a difference in the lives of my clients.
After 30 years of practice, I am humbled and honored by the four towns in the Middletown District: Middletown, Middlefield, Cromwell and Durham, for their endorsement of my candidacy as Middletown’s first female Judge of Probate to complete the term of Joseph D. Marino, our retiring Judge of Probate since 1986.
A little about myself: I grew up in Cromwell and attended Cromwell public school from kindergarten through high school graduation in 1986. From there I went to Hartford College for Women (UHART) and Smith College and then to Western New England College, School of Law. I moved to Middletown when I married my husband, Philip Szewczyk (Xavier ’79), whom I met in 1987 while working at Covenant Village of Cromwell/Pilgrim Manor as a receptionist. I have practiced Probate Law in Middletown for 30 years and would relish the opportunity to continue with Judge Marino's legacy of leading one of the largest Probate Districts in Connecticut in an efficient and fair manner while providing a forum for educating the public and adjudicating Probate matters.
I have three adult children: Taressa (in med-school at UNE in Maine) and twins Alle (Army National Guard Combat Medic 68W and EMT with AMR in New Haven and also volunteer firefighter/EMT with Westfield Fire District) and Luke (Farmer/Entrepreneur working for Northeast Feed and Supply and LS Farms as a logistics engineer for hay and farm products). My family resides in the South Farms district of Middletown next to my mom, Shirley Leverton and our small farm located at Sunshine Dairy (Guida Farm) where our family harvests hay and raises goats, pigs, a cow and duck.
I am a lifelong democrat who served on the Middletown Common Council from 1995-2007. I have provided public service lectures and "will talks" to educate local senior and church groups about Probate and Estate Planning. My law practice started 30 years ago with representation of Probate matters including CVH commitments and conservatorships, Riverview Children's Hospital and Whiting Forensic matters. I have since grown and continued representation of Probate matters including litigation, Trusts and Estate matters, but still ensure my client's needs are met by taking out-of-office appointments for executions during COVID and when my clients are too ill or infirm to travel.
My goal for the Middletown Probate District is to continue Judge Marino's legacy of responsiveness, timeliness and providing a forum for members of our community to be heard and have Probate matters considered with impartiality, kindness and fairness.
The election in November 2024 is to complete the current term of Judge Marino which ends in 2026. A successful term would be for my responsiveness, fairness and community involvement to resonate to allow me to serve a full 4-year term, unopposed in the 2026 election, and be re-elected as the first woman Judge of Probate for the District of Middletown.
All Probate Courts face many important issues including access and technology changes. It is crucial for our courts to allow for ease of access and responsiveness to the needs of the community as well as provide and maintain technology to ensure ease of access to forms, virtual hearings and information concerning procedure. I am not aware of any significant pandemic-imposed case backlogs in the Middletown district. I have found the Middletown Probate Court, in particular, to be responsive and timely in the matters that I have had before the court. It is my intention to ensure continuity in the Middletown Probate Court to allow counsel and parties to be able to obtain information about their matters and responsiveness to alleviate the stress that many Probate and family matters already impose.
The Probate Court to many may be their first exposure to a court of law, which is fortunate for non-attorneys. It is my goal to make the experience before the court as positive as it could be when addressing difficult issues such as a death in the family, family members losing mental capacity and needing commitment or appointment of a medical or financial conservator. The Probate Court also has many positive family experiences such as adoptions or change of name, but the majority of parties face stressful or painful family issues which requires kindness, understanding and finesse to ensure that resolutions are obtained without further burdening the parties.
It is my goal to represent the Middletown Probate District with fairness, kindness and with the goal of resolution rather than exacerbation of family matters.
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