If you have a vacation home, that is a great way to break away.
APPILY RETIRED FULL
If you cannot do it on a full time basis, at least do so part time. My advice, if you are like me, is to leave. While that may be fun for some, it would not have been for me. There would have been a strong temptation to go see the people at the courthouse or to stop in to the firm, for whatever. Let me explain-I think if I were still back in Elgin, and one day stopped going to the office, I’m not sure that would have worked. I can only say, however, what worked for me. Mateer: Do you have any warnings, suggestions or advice for those who might be considering retirement?Īriano: Actually I do. I didn’t do it in the practice and don’t do it now. I don’t think it is a good idea to spend too much time alone. If your health holds, by all means, keep active physically.
So my advice to people that either are retired or thinking about it-stay active. It is literally hard to find time to do it all. It amazes me, there isn’t a week that goes by where there aren’t parties. We can get together on a level that has nothing to do with litigation, and it’s just fun. Some have little money, some have a lot, but they are a fascinating group of people. Interestingly, there are very few attorneys in my particular group.
We have retirees from literally every walk of life. We have a group here in the community of Steamboat Springs that is unbelievable. Mateer: If you have one piece of advice for those already retired, what would that be?Īriano: Keep active, absolutely, keep active. I have pretty much kept up with that, a minimum of two to three hours a day, and I am absolutely loving it. As part of my retirement philosophy, I decided to try to spend as much time each day outside doing an activity here in Colorado as I did in court. I also enjoy biking I spend a lot of time on the bike. I read which I did not do much of in the practice, other than what was required, and I am enjoying that now. I have taken over all the cooking since I retired. In the summer it’s golf, hiking with or without the dog, travel and I love to cook. As to what I specifically do, in the winter it is skiing, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. That’s what I do, I spend as much time outside as possible. In Colorado, you almost don’t need a house because everybody spends all of their time outside. It’s a modest house, nothing real fancy, but it is right on the golf course, looking up at the ski mountains. We started on the idea of retirement by building a house in 1999 on property purchased earlier. Mateer: Where are you living and what are you doing with your time?Īriano: I live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. But, to be candid with you, I really don’t miss much else. I am not a person who could sit in the office. I enjoyed going to the court house each day. I miss the clients that for the most part appreciated what I did for them. It was the contact with a group of people that I was good friends with, not just the lawyers, but also the judges.
Mateer: What do you miss most about the practice of law?Īriano: Again I would have to say the interaction with the attorneys and meeting new clients. That was right for me, no question about it. It is a wonderful feeling being able to get on to a different phase of your life, at a time when you chose to do it.
I think a large part of it is being out from under the responsibility and stress of the practice. I wanted to do more of the activities that I had been only able to do for several weeks out of the year on vacations. I wouldn’t say I was totally burned out, but I was ready. I can honestly say I have never looked back and second guessed my decision. Mateer: Was retirement the right decision for you, and if so why and if not, why not?Īriano: Absolutely. The firm made a lateral hire about four years before I actually retired and I integrated her into my practice, eventually turning it over to her. The firm continues to use my name and I was “of counsel” for several years, although I really have not practiced since 2004 in Illinois or Colorado. Mateer: What were the mechanics of your retirement did you sell your practice or retire from a firm?Īriano: I retired from a firm. I got into the car, headed west to Colorado and never went back to the practice. There are two things that come to mind as to enjoyment: (1) the interaction with fellow attorneys, usually at the court house and (2) meeting new clients in the initial interviews.Īriano: June 30, 2004. Mateer: What was the focus of your practice and what did you enjoy most about it?Īriano: The concentration of my practice was family law, dissolution of marriage and mediation. Read this interview to find the secrets of his successful retirement. He is thoroughly enjoying his retirement in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I had the pleasure of interviewing Frank Ariano, a retired attorney from Elgin.