Why I’m Here and Why I Want to Prepare Your Estate Plan
Hi.
I’m glad you found my page and my practice. Hopefully, if you made it this far into the page, you’re thinking about hiring me to help you with your legal issue. But, you might be on the fence as to why you should hire me out of all the lawyers out there.
After twenty years of litigating court cases, the firm I was working at had some estate planning work it had fallen behind on, and I was asked if I wanted to pitch in. I said sure! I basically used the firm’s forms, met with the clients, put them in one of three “buckets,” and moved on to the next file. I felt like I gave the clients good results, but it just felt transactional.
The Pivotal Moment
The pivotal moment for me actually occurred during litigation. I represented clients who could not understand why they were getting so little in their stepfather’s will after they had been assured that his and their mother’s wills both provided that everything went to the spouse, then equally to all of their kids/stepkids. The clients didn’t know that after their mother died, stepdad wrote a new will giving them a little money, but passing most of the estate - including land that belonged to their mother’s family - to his kids alone. Their mother surely never intended her children be left with pennies on the dollar. She trusted her husband, but her estate plan failed.
Transitioning to Estate Planning
Now that I was helping people plan their own estates, I realized that there are ways to make sure the plans do not fail.
Putting clients through a standard process just felt like too much “checking of boxes.” It felt like I was telling the clients what they needed rather than assessing their goals and getting them to where they needed to be. I also thought of those clients who saw their Mom’s legacy pass to their stepbrother. They filed a lawsuit and wanted to get answers. But, the damage had been done. The real estate, and the oil and gas rights that went with it, were in their stepbrother’s hands. It wasn’t right, but the parents’ plan was set up to fail from the beginning.
I realized that I was the type of lawyer willing to spend extra time with the clients, getting to know them and to truly understand their goals and their needs. I could also stay in touch with clients. Ensure that the plan continued to work for them throughout life changes. Most importantly, I could make sure the plans work.
I’m a Personal Family Lawyer, and I work with families like yours to ensure that your plan doesn’t just sit in a drawer, but actually works when your family needs it most.
I went to law school to make a real difference in my clients’ lives, in your lives. After years of fighting in court, I decided I could actually help people more by getting in front of the problems, and that estate planning would be the right way - the way that I could make the biggest impact in the community for families and small business owners.
How are We Different?
So, here are some of the things we do differently based on my experience with the traditional model of estate planning:
First of all, with estate planning, almost nothing we do is billed on an hourly basis. Just about everything we do is billed flat fee, agreed to in advance, so there are no surprises. You’ll know exactly what it will cost to work with us after we’ve gotten clear about what you want, and you’ll even be able to choose your own fee.
Second - you have direct attorney access here to support you. That means, if you are at the bank and call our office to get a quick answer about how to title an account, you don’t have to leave the bank and return on another day because there was no one available to answer your question for hours or days. I will get back to you right away.
Third - I see planning as just the beginning of the relationship whereas in the past the plan was viewed as a one-time transactional event. Once you sign your planning documents, that is when the relationship really begins. At no additional charge, I will review your plan at least every three years.
Finally, we don’t just focus on passing on your financial assets, but your whole family wealth. A few years ago, I tragically lost a young relative. To this day, I still have the last voicemail he left on my phone, even though I’ve probably gone through two new phones since that time. It’s about the only thing I have to remember his little voice. I will help you preserve those intangibles - leaving not just money and property to your loved ones, but memories and the essence of who you are.
On a personal note, I’m a dad to an amazing daughter, and what she brings to this experience for me is the awareness that planning is something that you do for the people you love the most.
You won’t be the one to benefit from the plan we are going to design for you today - the people who will benefit are the people you love the most who will be dealing with things after you’re gone.
Finally, just know that you won’t be the first person to hire me. A very special little girl has put me on retainer.
Ready to discuss next steps?
Schedule a 15-Minute Discovery Call