M. Dawn Lloyd
Estate Planning & Probate Litigation Attorney
Sharp • Steady • Approachable
M. Dawn Lloyd brings something rare to estate planning and probate: more than 25 years of financial planning experience paired with over a decade of legal practice. A licensed financial advisor and CFP® professional since 1999, Dawn spent years watching families scramble when a loved one’s estate plan was missing or poorly drafted. She added a law degree so she could solve those problems herself, then ran her own law firm for a decade before joining Modern Law.
Her motivation is personal and protective. Dawn has seen too many people taken advantage of by family members, strangers, and even the professionals appointed to protect them. She wants every client’s legacy and life savings to go exactly where they intended. For her, a well-drafted plan today is the best way to keep a family out of costly court battles tomorrow.
Dawn handles guardianships and conservatorships, probate, trust administration, fiduciary representation, and service as a Guardian ad Litem in probate matters. Her background also spans family law, financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, contract disputes, real estate, landlord-tenant matters, personal bankruptcy, and general civil litigation. She has appeared in U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and Arizona Superior Courts in nearly every county. She prefers to resolve disputes through counsel and settlement, and she is fully ready to litigate when a case calls for it.
M. Dawn Lloyd
Estate Planning & Probate Litigation Attorney
Sharp • Steady • Approachable
M. Dawn Lloyd brings something rare to estate planning and probate: more than 25 years of financial planning experience paired with over a decade of legal practice. A licensed financial advisor and CFP® professional since 1999, Dawn spent years watching families scramble when a loved one’s estate plan was missing or poorly drafted. She added a law degree so she could solve those problems herself, then ran her own law firm for a decade before joining Modern Law.
Her motivation is personal and protective. Dawn has seen too many people taken advantage of by family members, strangers, and even the professionals appointed to protect them. She wants every client’s legacy and life savings to go exactly where they intended. For her, a well-drafted plan today is the best way to keep a family out of costly court battles tomorrow.
Dawn handles guardianships and conservatorships, probate, trust administration, fiduciary representation, and service as a Guardian ad Litem in probate matters. Her background also spans family law, financial exploitation of vulnerable adults, contract disputes, real estate, landlord-tenant matters, personal bankruptcy, and general civil litigation. She has appeared in U.S. District Court, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and Arizona Superior Courts in nearly every county. She prefers to resolve disputes through counsel and settlement, and she is fully ready to litigate when a case calls for it.
Quick Facts About M. Dawn
Education
Juris Doctorate, Arizona Summit Law School, 2014
Dean’s List; CALI Excellence for the Future Award; Raul Castro Scholarship Recipient; Member, Phi Alpha Delta, Goldwater Chapter
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Arts and Letters, Northern Arizona University, 2010
Dean’s List; Member, Golden Key International Honour Society
Intern, Never Again Foundation, 2012 to 2013
Star Sign & Enneagram Type
♒ Aquarius
Type 8, The Challenger – Dawn is strong, direct, and fiercely protective of the people in her care. She stands up for clients who have been taken advantage of and fights to keep their legacies safe.
Fun Fact
Dawn is a lifelong sports fan who cheers for ASU football, the Denver Broncos, and the L.A. Angels, and she and her partner Joe plan to visit every MLB ballpark. At home, her 11-year-old Pomsky, Sparky, runs the schedule. He earned the nickname Houdini as a puppy for escaping a locked crate, he “talks” in gerbil noises and mumbles, and he tells her every day at 5 p.m. when it’s time to stop working.
What it's like to work with M. Dawn
Working with Dawn feels like having a sharp, seasoned advocate who leaves the stiff legal attitude at the door. She explains complex matters in clear, everyday terms, and her clients know they can call her for honest guidance whenever they need it.
Her financial planning background gives her an edge few attorneys have. She understands how assets, accounts, and family dynamics fit together, and she builds every plan and strategy with the full picture in view. When a dispute arises, she protects her clients with the same energy she would give her own relatives.
Dawn’s goal is simple: lift the weight of legal stress off her clients’ shoulders. With Dawn in your corner, you gain a steady hand and the confidence that your family’s future is safe.
Getting to Know M. Dawn
If you weren't in the legal profession, what would your alternative career be?
General Manager or Director of Baseball Operations for the L.A. Angels. I’d love to turn the organization around and see them back on top like they were during my childhood.
Which fictional lawyer or legal character do you resonate with the most? Why?
Alicia Florrick from The Good Wife. Like her, I rebuilt my life, finances, and career from the ground up after a divorce. I expanded my 25-year career as a financial advisor and CFP® professional by adding legal services, ran my own law firm for a decade, and eventually joined Modern Law. That journey fuels my work in estate planning and probate litigation today. I know firsthand what it takes to work through complex financial restructuring and emotional family transitions. Alicia proves that life’s setbacks shape you into a fiercer, more empathetic, and more determined advocate.
If you could create a new law, what would it be and why?
A federal statute requiring every presidential cabinet and agency appointee to hold non-partisan credentials and real professional experience in that exact field before confirmation. As an attorney and CFP® professional, I’ve learned that managing complex systems and protecting people’s assets takes deep expertise. Our highest levels of government deserve proven experts in charge.
If you could have a legal-themed superpower, what would it be and why?
Chrono-Vision, the Reality Rewind: the ability to rewind time like a movie and watch the exact moment a document was signed or a conversation took place. Probate litigation almost always happens after the key witness, the person who made the estate plan, is unable to speak for themselves. With Chrono-Vision, I could see exactly what they wanted, whether they were of sound mind, and whether anyone pressured them or abused their authority. It would replace he-said, she-said arguments with undeniable proof, protect the person’s true intent, and save families from draining the estate on legal fees.
