What is the story behind the bird?

In 2007, Dana Zivkovich originally organized Atticus Law Firm in Illinois and adopted a finch as its logo.  Dana wanted a symbolic name for the firm to represent the firm's mission. The name Atticus reminds Dana of one of her favorite characters, Atticus Finch from Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, an attorney who agreed to represent an unpopular client because it was the right thing to do. The character represents many virtues but among the most notable are morality and civility.  The book was required reading for Dana in grammar school and the story and its well-respected character remains one of her favorites.

Upon further research about finches, Dana was happy to learn finches represent high energy and brighter days on the horizon.  They're bouncy, fun flight patterns elicit feelings of freedom and happiness. Finches are opportunistic and resourceful song birds with a vibrant disposition. Ultimately, the finch seemed like a perfect representative for the firm's culture.

Our mission is to develop a reputation for integrity, prudence, and compassion. 

We want to form meaningful relationships with our clients based on those virtues. 

From the beginning, the firm has concentrated in probate administration, elder law, and estate planning.  Dana maintains "It was my intention to become the expert in a few practice areas instead of a general practice lawyer. I prefer to know a lot about some things, rather than a little about a lot of things." During law school, two things became clear quickly, that she intended to open her own office from get-go and that she was interested in helping people navigate confusing legal procedures.  "I was attracted to probate practice immediately.  The notion of organizing someone's estate after his or her death and carrying out their last wishes appealed to me. Many people work hard for a long time to accumulate something to pass on to their loved ones.  I felt it was respectable to honor their legacies and I wanted to relieve the stress of working through this process with the heirs."  

In 2010, the firm started providing legal services in Indiana but due to a prohibition on law office trade names, was forced to rename the office after its founder.  Zivkovich Law Offices retained the logo and the meaning it represents.