After 43 years serving the legal community in Wareham, Attorney Leonard M. Bello plans to retire.

Beginning Sept. 28, 2021, Bello will no longer hold full-time hours at his 184 Main St. office, according to a press release. He will remain on in an advisory role for the Law Offices of Bello & Morton, LLC in order to ensure a smooth transition for clients, the release said.

Leonard began his career practicing alongside his brother Harry Bello in New Bedford. He moved to Wareham in 1983, at which time he opened an office in Wareham.

He assisted his brother Harry in the trial of several murder cases, argued for clients in the District, Superior, Housing, Probate and Juvenile Courts as well the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Bello taught Courses for Lee Institute of Realty and for Quincy Jr. College and served as a member of the Town of Wareham’s Financing Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals. He helped many businesses and development projects come to fruition in Wareham. He also supported Wareham’s youth sports and served four years as the president of the Wareham Little League.

“It is never easy to bid farewell to a loved and well-respected colleague, and we will miss working with Attorney Bello on a daily basis,” Attorney Jilian Morton, Bello’s colleague, said in the statement.

Colleagues expect Bello “will not in fact fully retire,” but will spend time pursuing his passions, which include golf and spending time in Florida with his wife, two children, five grandsons and friends.

Bello will act as a consultant for Morton moving forward, the press release said.

Any clients who would like to retrieve a will that Attorney Bello had stored for them are invited to do so at any time. Unless retrieved, they will remain locked in a fire-proof filing cabinet for safekeeping at the same location with the Law Office of Bello & Morton.