Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | February 23, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 25 HALL OF FAME F O C U S BY SARA BEDIGIAN Special to WBJ P olly Tatum always knew she wanted to advocate for others. When her high school guidance coun- selor suggested Tatum become a secretary instead of pursuing her dreams to become a lawyer, that only made her push harder. "at's kind of like a superpower that I have: to set a path, have a plan, and then see it to fruition," she said. With a focus on helping clients with divorce media- tion and conflict resolution, she started the Law Office of Polly Tatum in Worcester as the sole practitioner in 1997. Now, nearly 30 years later, she has transitioned her firm to estate planning, probate, and elder law, grown her team to 14, and serves clients throughout Massachusetts. Her mission is helping individuals and families as they age, ensuring they create a legacy for their loved ones. "It doesn't matter what your background is," Tatum said. "Everyone has a story, and they want to be able to share those stories, and be able to pass that down to generations to come." Estate planning is oen perceived as a discretionary experience people don't want to discuss, but Tatum makes the process thoughtful and accessible for her clients, said Aimee Griffin, a Washington, D.C. attor- ney and founder of Life and Legacy Counselors, who has known Tatum for years. "She has great conversations, webinars, and semi- nars so that people can feel comfortable talking to her, making sure that she's approachable, and then making it so that people don't think that this horrible conver- sation is horrible," Griffin said. Griffin and Tatum grew close when they both pursued a master of law degree in elder law and estate planning at Western New England University in 2006. At the time, Tatum already had her practice in divorce mediation. "She is a lifelong learner," Griffin said. "Irrespec- tive of the fact that she had a successful practice, she decided she was going to go back to school and get an additional degree to sharpen her skills." In 2024, Tatum's firm received the Law Firm 500 award for being one of the fastest-growing firms in the country, with 250% growth. Tatum credits her team with the growth and success of the firm, including one of her daughters, who serves as director of operations. "I'm most proud of what we've built together as a team, because they're a big part of it," she said. Tatum was the first woman of color to become the president of the Worcester County Bar Association and board chair of the YMCA of Central Massa- chusetts, where she still serves on the board. Having raised three daughters in Worcester, she volunteered and served on the board at Girls Inc. of Worcester, while coaching girls basketball. Aer years of volunteering and working with other families in the community, she received a call that her own family needed help. is led her to step back from community work to raise her four great nephews and one great niece, which she has been doing for the last eight years. "It all prepared me, all the work that I did, all the child rearing that I did, all of the families that I worked with, all prepared me for this next phase in life to step in and raise my great nephews and niece," she said. "ey keep me young, and they keep me focused, and they're a lot of fun." PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT Tatum helps families protect their legacies WBJ Hall of Fame Polly Tatum CEO & founding attorney Law Office of Polly Tatum, in Worcester Employees: 14 Founded: 1997 Her age: 61 W

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