Erin Fitch Nielson, Esq.

Senior Attorney II

Attorney Erin Fitch Nielson has over twenty years of practice experience in the Probate and Family Court. She focuses her work in the areas of guardianship and conservatorship of adults and minors, including “Rogers” (substituted judgment) cases. Erin also has served as Guardian ad Litem for incapacitated adults, and as a child’s counsel in the Juvenile Court.

Courtroom Advocacy

If objections to a guardianship or conservatorship are anticipated, you will need a skilled advocate in your corner. Erin is a tenacious courtroom advocate, experienced in successfully litigating complex cases in the Probate and Juvenile courts. Erin’s experience includes practice in the Fiduciary Litigation Session, a specialized forum to address, among others, more complex contested conservatorships.

Accomplished Certified Financial Litigator

Attorney Nielson is a Certified Financial Litigator (“CFL”). She earned her designation from the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators (“AACFL”)*. The AACFL’s CFL certification demonstrates the completion of extensive training in financial matters. Such matters include, but are not limited to, business and asset valuation, compensation, taxation, and investments.

Erin’s AACFL certification reflects not only advanced financial training but also the testing of her acumen through the CFL exam. Attorney Nielson’s high level of financial instruction, along with her experience, ensures that she is well-equipped to understand unique and complex financials, develop compelling arguments, and be effective and persuasive throughout the conservatorship process.

Notable Viewpoint: Trained Mediator

In addition to being a skilled litigator, Erin is a trained mediator. Mediation can be a viable option for working through some of the complex family dynamics that lead to contested guardianship and conservatorship situations. An experienced probate mediator can help parties reach a comprehensive case settlement in an informal and private setting before the parties file with the court, or at any point during the case that the parties are willing to sit down together to try to resolve some or all of their dispute. Notably, the benefits of mediation can include time and cost savings, as well as the preservation of an amicable relationship between the parties.

As a mediator, Erin can draw upon her experience as a trial attorney and Certified Financial Litigator. Although she remains neutral in her role as a mediator, Erin’s insight and experience support in mediation sessions that are well-informed and efficient. Prior experiences enrich Attorney Nielson’s problem-solving abilities as she assists parties in reaching creative and workable solutions for them.

Distinctive Legal Research and Writing Skills

Upon graduation from law school, Erin served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. This was a prestigious opportunity that enabled her to hone her legal research and writing skills.

As a Judicial Law Clerk, Erin assisted the Superior Court Justices in all phases of civil and criminal litigation. She prepared draft decisions and legal memoranda, as well as proposed jury instructions. Additionally, Erin worked extensively with the Justices on trials, hearings, and motion sessions.

A Caregiver’s Perspective

A strong client advocate, Erin possesses the compassion to guide her clients through complex and sensitive guardianship and conservatorship matters. She brings to her practice lived experience as the caregiver for an incapacitated individual. Her experience informs both her understanding of the caregiver’s experience, and her advocacy on behalf of the person under a guardianship or conservatorship.

Before law school, Erin worked in the field of refugee resettlement. In that field, she provided direct resettlement services to refugee families from around the world. She also oversaw a staff of resettlement case managers. Moreover, Erin earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Intercultural Management and Sustainable Development from the School for International Training. Attorney Nielson’s social services background has certainly proven beneficial in her law practice.

Serving her Community

Erin is a long-time resident of Westford, where she lives with her three teens. Erin coaches the Westford Academy Mock Trial team. She volunteers with the Middlesex Probate and Family Court Lawyer for the Day program in Woburn, offering pro bono legal advice on guardianship, divorce, and custody matters. She also serves as a member of the Board of the Friends of the Cameron Senior Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization providing services and fellowship for senior citizens throughout the local community.

*The AACFL is a private organization, whose standards for certification are not regulated by a state authority or the American Bar Association. To learn more about the AACFL’s professional standards, click here.