Estate planning is one of those things that we often put off as something “seniors should do.” I learned first-hand that the unexpected can happen to anyone.
We All Need Estate Planning
When my boys were 2 ½ and 5, my husband was diagnosed with glioblastoma and died 11 months later. We were young professional attorneys with the world ahead of us; we had no idea that life was about to deal us a tragic twist. I had to make important decisions for myself, my kids, and my husband while grappling with grief and exhaustion. Just getting through each day was beyond difficult. Looking back, I realized that we didn’t have a plan because life got in the way. We were busy. We were young. We didn’t need to think about such things.
After our experience, I shifted my law practice to make a difference – in the lives of my clients and their families. I’m passionate about what I do. I don’t practice in the abstract. I’ve been there and lived it. I practice in reality. It’s important that each client’s story be told, heard, and acted upon. After all, you know better than anyone what you want.
Estate Planning Protects Clients and Their Families
I learned then that estate planning is not about the dying; it’s about the living and those left behind. It doesn’t matter if you have $400 or $400,000; estate planning provides peace of mind that your wishes are carried out today and in the future. It protects your assets for you during your lifetime, and for your family after you’re gone. It ensures that YOU, not the State of Michigan, makes important decisions – asset distribution (immediate and long-term), child guardianship, health wishes, powers of attorney, etc.
As I watch my boys grow and flourish, I know I can’t prote
ct them from the lessons and challenges life puts in their paths. I can only love them, support them, and help guide them to make sound decisions. I do, however, sleep better knowing that our future is planned and they are protected from the unexpected.
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