ABOUT

Mark Standen

B.A. Colby College (Distinction in English)
J.D. University of Maine School of Law

Attorney
I've been practicing law now for 25 years or so, focusing almost exclusively on estate planning and estate and trust administration. The practice suits me well, as I enjoy working with individuals and families on matters uniquely important to them. During a typical day, the work calls for intuition and technical know-how in more or less equal measure, and I enjoy the challenge of keeping my left brain and right brain engaged at the same time.

My first eighteen years of law practice were spent in Portland at one of Maine's largest law firms, where I rose through the ranks to become the chair of the wills, trusts and estates practice group. In 2006 I left to begin my own law practice in Yarmouth. I did so with some trepidation, but also with an abiding belief that many of my existing clients, and many new ones as well, would rather have their personal legal needs met in an intimate village setting where neither parking garages nor elevators are required. Although I'm pleased and relieved to have been right about that, I'm even more humbled by those who have entrusted me with their legal work.

My first career was as a high school English teacher and coach. As a lawyer, I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to rediscover teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maine School of Law. I have taught the Estate Planning course to 3rd year law students and and the Estate and Gift Tax course, also to 3rd year students, in academic years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-5. I am a member of the American Bar Association, the Maine State Bar Association, the Maine Estate Planning Council, and the Maine Medical Center Planned Giving Committee.

I am a trustee of the Freeport Conservation Trust. In addition, my wife Liz and I serve as Executive Directors of the George & Raymond Frank Foundation, a Maine charity that operates a traditional summer camp for boys in Weld, Maine. Liz and I have three adult children of our own and about 200 children on loan to us each summer who come to Weld from throughout the U. S. and from various other countries.

JED STANDEN

Billing and Bookkeeping
Jed was born and raised on the coast of Maine, attended Freeport public schools and graduated from Colby College with a B. A., having majored in English. After working in New York City and Spain, Jed moved back to Maine and worked for several years at Standen Law as a legal assistant and paralegal. During the summer of 2019, he moved to Carrboro, North Carolina with a view toward attending graduate school at the University of North Carolina in the fall of 2020. Since his move, Jed has been working remotely part-time, primarily in the areas of invoicing and bookkeeping. In his spare time, he enjoys writing, fly fishing and hiking.

Elizabeth standen

Office Manager and Consultant
Standen Law has been a joint venture from day one. Although Elizabeth is not a lawyer, her organizational acumen and wise counsel are invaluable. She has a B. A. in early childhood education from Tufts University, is an early childhood educator of many years’ experience, has served as the director of Winfield School in Falmouth, and served for six years as a member of the Freeport School Committee. In addition, Elizabeth is a mentor to single teenage mothers in local communities and serves with her husband Mark as Co-Executive Director of the George and Raymond Frank Foundation.

LIAM HORNSCHILD-BEAR

Part-Time Legal Assistant
Liam Hornschild-Bear is a student at the University of Maine and joined to assist the office in 2019. He enjoys hiking the trails of Maine, traveling, and generally exploring the outdoors. Liam has been interested in the field of Law since he joined his high school's Mock Trial team.