We Come From Working-class Roots. Here’s Why We Serve Families Like Ours

By Melissa N. Paddy, Esq., Liberty Legacy Law Group

Before I was ever a lawyer… before I owned a business… before I knew what a trust or an LLC even was… I was a little girl watching my parents leave early and come home late.

I was raised in a house where every dollar had a job, and nothing was wasted – not time, not energy, not hope.

My parents worked hard – really hard – to make sure we had what we needed and more. I went to great schools. I took dance lessons, was a Girl Scout, played softball, tried my hand at guitar, basketball, and cheerleading. Even through the chaos, they made it a priority to create memories with us.

Some of my favorite ones come from our summers at Knoebels Amusement Park – camping in an RV, fishing in the mornings, and spending hours in the creek. Kaitlyn, our co-founder, and I would catch crawfish with nets and try to scoop up trout with our bare hands, soaked and laughing under the trees. We rode bikes and rollercoasters until sunset, ate way too much soft serve, and spent those nights surrounded by family and friends, fireflies, and stories around the campfire.

They didn’t make excuses – they made it work.
They didn’t talk about sacrifice – they lived it.
And I carry that with me, every single day.

What It Meant to Grow Up Working-Class

To grow up working-class is to grow up surrounded by quiet strength. It’s packing your lunch the night before. It’s finishing your homework at the kitchen table while your parents do the bills. It’s hearing “no” sometimes and learning to be okay with it.

We weren’t handed anything – but we were given everything that mattered:

• A strong work ethic
• A deep respect for others
• And a belief that showing up – especially when it’s hard – is what makes you dependable

Those weren’t just values in our home – they were expectations.

I watched my parents juggle jobs, chores, and kids like they were holding the world together with two hands and a whole lot of faith. There was no glamor in it. But there was so much grit. So much heart.

Childhoods Built on Character

My childhood wasn’t defined by money. It was defined by character.

We were taught to say thank you. To earn what we wanted. To look out for others. We learned to be dependable – if you said you were going to do something, you did it. If something broke, you fixed it. If you messed up, you owned it.

These were the kinds of lessons that stuck long after school ended. They shaped how I treat people, how I lead, and how I serve clients today.

A Friendship Rooted in the Same Soil

I’ve known Kaitlyn since I was three years old. She rode her bike up my driveway the day I moved to the neighborhood, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We grew up in Linthicum, Maryland – just outside of BWI – where summers were spent swimming in my pool, riding go-karts through her yard and catching whatever animals we could find in the woods behind our houses.

Like me, Kaitlyn came from a family where hard work wasn’t optional – it was automatic. Her grandfather, Julius “Junior” Tauber, was an Army veteran, the mayor of Linthicum, and the founder of Tauber’s Service Station, which later became Tauber’s Towing. Kaitlyn grew up watching her grandfather and father run the business not just with tools and trucks – but with integrity.

They never overcharged. They helped stranded drivers – friends, neighbors, even airport travelers – without hesitation. They worked in the heat, the snow, the middle of the night, and they did it with pride. Not for praise – but because that’s what good people do.

It was Kaitlyn’s first glimpse into what it means to be a community servant. It was mine too, just by being close enough to watch.

While both of my parents worked full-time, it was my grandparents who helped raise me. They were present, reliable, and grounded in values that had been forged through hard times.

My grandfather served in the Navy before working for American Oil Co. at Wagner’s Point in Baltimore. His job was tough, physical, and vital. My grandparents took me to church every Sunday, oftentimes dragging me out the door for 7:30 am mass. They taught me right from wrong, how to treat people with kindness, and how to carry myself with pride – quiet pride.

They didn’t lecture – they led by example.
They didn’t demand – they modeled.
They didn’t build wealth – but they built character, faith, and stability.

Those gifts have carried me farther than any inheritance ever could.

The Kind of Rich We Grew Up With

Some families are rich in material things. We were rich in something else.

We were rich in resilience. In resourcefulness. In love.

We had a richness that isn’t taxable or transferable – but it’s powerful just the same.

And we’ve carried that richness into adulthood and into the firm we now run together.

These Roots Are Still Our Compass

Today, Kaitlyn and I co-own Liberty Legacy Law Group. On the surface, we’re attorneys. We draft documents, advise clients, and create legacy plans.

But underneath all that – we’re still those working-class girls who grew up next door to each other. Who were raised by people who taught us how to treat others, how to honor our word, and how to never take anything – or anyone – for granted.

We may wear heels instead of cleats now, but we still carry that same hustle and heart. We still double-check our work. We still believe that small details matter. That people matter.

What Our Upbringing Taught Us (That Law School Didn’t)

1.You don’t have to be rich to be generous.

The most giving people I know didn’t have much, but they’d give you their last five dollars. Generosity is a mindset, not a line item.

2. People deserve to be spoken to with respect – no matter their job or bank account.

We don’t use jargon. We explain things clearly. Because everyone deserves to be empowered, not intimidated.

3. Consistency builds trust.

Show up. Follow through. Be the same person on Monday as you were on Sunday. That’s how you earn a reputation.

4. Dignity has nothing to do with net worth.

We’ve met people with great wealth who still struggle to find fulfillment, and middle-class families who live with deep gratitude, strong values, and genuine joy.

5. Legacy isn’t what you leave. It’s how you live.

Your name, your effort, your relationships – that’s what people remember. That’s what we help protect.

Why We Serve Families Like Ours

When we meet parents working multiple jobs, a family business owner worried about the future, or a couple trying to make sense of what happens to their home after they’re gone – we don’t see strangers.

We see ourselves.
We see our parents.
We see the sacrifices, the worry, the hope.

And that’s why we serve families like ours.

Because we don’t believe legal protection should be reserved for the wealthy.
We don’t believe planning should come with shame or intimidation.
We believe in options, education, and empowerment.

More Than a Law Firm

Liberty Legacy Law Group isn’t just a business. It’s the embodiment of everything we were taught growing up.

• We don’t show off – we show up.
• We don’t lead with fear – we lead with empathy.
• We don’t speak over you – we speak to you.
• We don’t serve clients – we serve families.

Because your legacy matters. Not just what you leave behind – but how you live today, how you love your people, how you protect what you’ve worked so hard to build.

And if no one has ever told you that you deserve a plan – we’re here to tell you that you do.

Because we don’t just understand your world. We come from it.
And we’re here to help you build and protect a legacy that feels just like home.