Client case study · Estate planning and elder law · East Greenwich, Rhode Island
How McCarthy Law got its leaders out of the weeds and built a six-person remote team
A fast-growing firm, a resignation, and two leaders buried in day-to-day tasks. Here’s how McCarthy Law turned a first executive assistant hire into a remote team woven into every part of the firm.
Apr 2025
Partnership started
6
Active placements, September 2026
+1
Intake specialist now in hiring
Jun 2025
Longest current placement began, still going strong
McCarthy Law, an estate planning and elder law firm in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, began working with VirtueStaff in April 2025, starting with an executive assistant. By September 2026 it had six remote team members across operations, the founder’s inbox, finance, intake, client care and marketing, with an intake specialist in hiring.
About McCarthy Law
- Women-founded, family-first
- Based in East Greenwich, RI
- Serving RI, MA, and CT
McCarthy Law helps families across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut with estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, probate, guardianship, and life care planning. Founded by attorney Samantha McCarthy Jarvis, the firm is built on empathy, integrity, and long-term relationships with the families it serves.
The challenge
The firm was growing fast. Founder Samantha McCarthy Jarvis and Firm Administrator Stacy Hanson were spending their days on tasks and minutiae, with no time left for strategy or business planning.
“Every day we were just in the weeds, just trying to keep our heads above water.”
— Stacy Hanson, Firm Administrator, McCarthy Law
Then their finance manager resigned, and her work landed on Sam and Stacy too. They knew they didn’t want to replace her with another full-time, in-person hire. Offloading their day-to-day work to an executive assistant would free them to focus on what mattered, and a remote assistant simply made more sense.
Why VirtueStaff
VirtueStaff sourced and vetted candidates, set up interviews, and handled HR, payroll, and benefits. McCarthy Law has explored other providers along the way, and keeps coming back.
“We just keep coming back to you guys. The vetting of the candidates, setting up the interviews, handling everything, even helping with performance management. The quality of the candidates and the service you provide.”
— Stacy Hanson
From one need to a whole team
The first hires were about getting Sam and Stacy out of the weeds. Once those worked, the question changed.
“After we had so much success, it was like, what else can we have a VA do? It really opened the door.”
— Stacy Hanson
Today, McCarthy Law’s remote team supports nearly every part of the firm:
| Role | What they own |
|---|---|
| Operations and systems | Weekly reporting, trust account monitoring, integrations and automations, CRM data and metrics, and applying payments during billing |
| Executive assistant to the founder | Inbox management, consult summary notes for clients, and billable time entry for three attorneys |
| Finance support | Recording client payments in the CRM, checking consult fees, and generating reports |
| Intake | Handling potential client calls, and now building a formal training program for the intake department |
| Client happiness coordinator | Quarterly check-ins for Client Care Plan members, probate status updates, and appointment confirmation calls |
| Marketing (part-time) | Copy, graphics, social media posts, intake conversion reporting, and data cleanliness |
The client happiness coordinator role didn’t exist before. The firm loved one team member’s personality and cultural fit so much that they built a role around his strengths. Across the team, an unexpected bonus: hires have been a big help documenting the firm’s procedures.
“I literally don’t know how we would live without [her]. She’s in everything, which is amazing.”
— Stacy Hanson
McCarthy Law’s onboarding playbook
- Day one: After VirtueStaff makes the introduction, the firm meets the new hire on Zoom and takes it from there.
- First week: System access, SOPs, the employee handbook, and a library of videos covering each of the firm’s practice areas.
- First month: Exposure to the team members and procedures tied to the role. Intake hires train one-on-one, role-play, listen to example calls, and sit in on live calls.
- Ongoing: Regular check-ins, twice-weekly sales training alongside the in-house intake team, and inclusion in every staff meeting, firm communication, and event.
Deciding which roles go remote
Attorneys, paralegals, and elder care coordinators work with clients daily, so those roles stay in person. Administrative work that can be done from anywhere, plus phone-based intake, is now a natural fit for remote hires.
“I think we’re very well positioned for growth. We have capacity. Any upcoming positions that we’re looking for could all be staffed by VAs.”
— Stacy Hanson
The results
Sam and Stacy got their time back for the big picture, and the firm now has the capacity to take on more work. Managing a remote hire, Stacy says, feels no different from managing anyone else. Trust comes from results and responsiveness.
“I don’t feel like there’s any difference in the ongoing management. They’re just part of the team.”
— Stacy Hanson
Stacy’s advice for other firm owners
“If you have reservations about VAs, just do it. Have a good plan together and identify what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days. And interview them like any other role. Whether they’re here physically or not, they’re still part of the team.”
— Stacy Hanson, Firm Administrator, McCarthy Law
What’s next
McCarthy Law is growing its intake department with VirtueStaff, starting with an intake specialist now in hiring, and has more administrative roles like billing support on the horizon.
McCarthy Law name and quotes used with permission. Figures as of September 2026.
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