An estate plan is where you’ve pulled together, in one place, all your “bounty” – physical and intangible – naming individuals to take care of you now if needed and to distribute the “bounty” after you’re no longer here
Anyone who is 18 needs a plan – tough things happen, and help is needed. Young people die, and without a plan, things are even more painful and heartbreaking. Without designating people, no one can help.
I do Estate Planning – Wills, Powers of Attorney, Health Care Surrogates.
I do special needs trusts when it’s judicious to do – already existing situation where it will be needed or potentially they’ll be a situation where it’s needed
And, I’ve learned the value of Elder Law – to protect assets of people who’ve worked hard, saved, and have assets, and they think they have to lose everything to apply for government help.
My previous career was in life coaching – asking difficult questions and helping people answer them.
This capacity is very helpful in my legal practice as there are often questions that need to be asked that can appear threatening to the person being asked – do I choose this child or that child or someone not related. I’m able to ask with empathy, diminishing the scariness of the question.
What’s the difference? When does each come into play?
These are difficult conversations that need to be had.
I always wanted to be a doctor – thinking medical. Almost 50 years to the day of my high school graduation I became a doctor, albeit a doctor of law.
Planning needs to be done and done right, because we really can never know when we’ll leave this earth. To work with an attorney is to be sure the right questions are asked. It’s to be properly informed by a practitioner instead of by your neighbor or the opinions of friends who aren’t attorneys. Attorneys help people think and make better choices.
I do appreciate the temptation to DIY AND strongly advise against it for fear the document created will not do the job when it’s needed.
Living Wills are documents people prepare for when the end of life is approaching – it provides a place to indicate choices about treatment or not and at what stage treatment ends. It’s an essential document to help the person dying do so on their own terms.
My practice is to recommend a Revocable Living Trust so that a child’s inheritance can be safe-guarded if the child is inline to inherit before they are legally able to inherit money on their 18th birthday, and after 18 if a parent doesn’t want to trust them with assets that young.
First thing I would tell someone is “I chose estate planning and probate to never have to be in court. Contesting a Will involves litigation. 😊I will counsel that fees can be expensive and the emotional toll on a family even more expensive. Then I refer to someone who does do will contests.
Your Last Will and Testament is the catch-all documents for any part of an estate that may have slipped through the cracks while planning to avoid probate. It also serves as a place holder if there is some type of lawsuit that needs a place to deposit funds after someone passes – personal injury, malpractice.
We have a unique perspective on estate planning that serves our clients well. We thoroughly review not just your assets and your wishes but your legacy. We ask the questions “What’s in the best interest of this family, how do we achieve those goals and what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?” After answering these key questions, we help you determine the best course of action for your family going forward.
