Jennifer Tomac’s original plan was to become a teacher. Growing up in Rapid City, she had always envisioned herself in the classroom. “That was the plan,” she said. But everything changed during her sophomore year of college. An attorney from Spearfish came to speak to her psychology class, and after listening to him for just 45 minutes, Jennifer had an epiphany: her calling is in law. “I realized I was on the wrong path,” she recalled. “I’m supposed to be a lawyer.”
From that moment, Jennifer set her sights on this new vision for her life. After completing her undergraduate studies, she headed to Virginia to attend law school. At the same time, her future husband, Jared Tomac, also from Rapid City, was stationed in Virginia while serving in the Army. The two reconnected, and their shared journey led them to marry. Jared, too, graduated from law school, and Jennifer began working in Virginia’s probate system. It was there that her passion for law — specifically in the area of elder law and estate planning — grew even stronger.
“I fell in love with this area of law because it’s so family-oriented,” Jennifer said. “When most people think of family law, they think of divorce and child custody. But estate planning is just as much about family.” As Jennifer worked in the probate system, she gained a deeper understanding of how estate planning intersects with families’ lives, often in profound ways. “It’s not just about what happens to your assets when you pass away, it’s also about how your values and how your family’s well-being is protected. It’s about who will take care of you if you get dementia, and making sure the right paperwork is in place to ensure your wishes are honored.”
When Jennifer and Jared decided to return to Rapid City to practice elder law and estate planning, they quickly realized that their mission to help people prepare for the future wouldn’t be as straightforward as they had anticipated. The independent spirit that defines western South Dakota is a double-edged sword. While it’s a point of pride for the region — especially when it comes to things like car repairs or home improvement — the same DIY attitude can be problematic when it comes to estate planning.
To explain this, the Tomacs often use a relatable analogy: fixing a toilet. “If you fix your own toilet, you’ll know immediately whether it works when you flush it,” Jared explained. “But if you take a DIY approach to estate planning, you won’t know if it’s right until it’s too late — by definition, you’ll be gone when it’s supposed to take effect.”
The Tomacs are driven by a strong moral conviction: to help people plan for the future before it’s too late. They refuse to sit idly by while families suffer the consequences of poorly executed estate plans or the lack of a will altogether. To make progress on educating the people of the region on this vital topic, the Tomacs took a bold step by hiring an expert in communications and brand voice, Brad Gardner, as their first employee. “Some people thought we were insane,” Jared admitted, “but Brad has helped us communicate a very important message. We’re not here to sell a product — we’re here to educate and help people understand how estate planning can benefit them.”
Hosting free workshops has proven to be one of the most crucial pieces to this public education puzzle. “We help the public understand that we’re not trying to sell them on something,” Jared went on. “We’re trying to educate the public about how this service can benefit them, and if that happens to be something that we can provide, we’d be happy to do that. The workshops have been a nice, organic, non-sales way of getting clients to understand how we can serve them and their families.”
The firm has grown with additional attorneys and legal experts who are equally dedicated to serving the Black Hills in this indispensable way. Through hard work, passion and a commitment to serving the people of their hometown, the Tomacs have not only established themselves as trusted advocates for estate planning in the Black Hills but have also become a source of education and support for families who want to make sure their legacies are properly planned and protected.
2828 West Main Street
Rapid City, SD 57702
tomaclaw.com