I’m on a mission to increase the level of understanding folks have about how documents like health care directives, powers of attorney, wills, and trusts operate in California. And I’m achieve it one client at a time. The reason is simple – so they can make more informed decisions, and thus take wiser actions, with respect to their own estate planning.
Everyone has their own unique life experiences and goals, and each person necessarily comes to the estate planning process with their own set of understandings and beliefs. Discussing the possibility of an incapacitating illness, and the ultimate certainty of one’s own death, requires vulnerability and courage. My role is to explain the relevant information, but also to ask the right questions and listen deeply to the answers.
My law practice is somewhat unique in that it’s divided between prospectively assisting my planning clients with preparing their estate plans, and responsively assisting my fiduciary clients with administering the trust and/or estate of someone who has died or become incapacitated. Assisting with administering numerous trusts and estates has provided valuable lessons in how costly and time-consuming those processes can be, and how th0ughtful planning can significantly reduce the anguish often experienced by those left behind to carry on in a loved one’s absence.
In both the the planning and administration realms, having an organized, “systems” approach can make all the difference. And in either case, I’ll set you up for success!
Let's get it done.