In November of 2022, we spent Thanksgiving in Kansas City with friends.  We drove out the Saturday prior to the week of Thanksgiving and planned to spend the entire week with our friends.  Neither I, nor my wife, planned to work during the week of Thanksgiving.  However, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my wife’s second level supervisor called her at 8 pm to let her know they were going to have a company wide meeting on Monday, and that the company she worked for was likely to shut down.  That was quite an unexpected phone call for my wife.

She attended the virtual company wide meeting on Monday, and the CEO of the company read a prepared statement informing the company’s employees that as of that moment the company would no longer be able to provide the service the company did – originating reverse mortgages – and that they were to cease all activities of originating loans or marketing.  The CEO then signed off the meeting without giving any more information or taking any questions.  Many members of the company wondered if there had been some sort of technical malfunction, and tried to see if they could fix the technical issue, but that really was all the CEO had to say at the time.

Employees of the company had a lot of questions, none of which were answered that day.  Instead, the employees of the company spent the next week looking for answers to the questions they had like: What happens with loans already in process?  How should we tell clients what is going on?  What does this decision mean for payroll or benefits?  And, what are the employees supposed to do since what they were supposed to be doing was no longer to be done?  The short meeting did not answer any questions, and left the employees confused as to what to do and what would come next.  Managers and others did their best to find answers and inform the employees what would happen with different aspects of the work and their jobs, but nobody got their questions answered at the initial meeting.

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, the company had another virtual meeting.  At that meeting, the CEO read another prepared statement, and let everyone know that the company was shutting down and that as of that moment, everyone was laid off.  The CEO told them that they should apply for unemployment and that they would begin shutting down technology immediately, and then the CEO signed off the meeting.  And, suddenly the company’s email was disabled, and that was the end of my wife’s tenure at the company.  It was a highly unsatisfying end to my wife’s work with the company and not something you would expect from the fifth largest reverse mortgage company in the United States, Reverse Mortgage Funding.

My wife has since found employment with another company.  She had several companies recruiting her, and she could choose which company was the best fit for her.

At least one company assumed they would be able to hire her, but the company culture was not what she wanted.  Eventually she found the right fit, and she is now working for a different company that she likes.  She tells me the whole process, while not an ideal thing, made her feel good to be wanted.

I do realize that when companies shut down, timelines can be compressed and things can be poorly thought out and communicated, but her experience was kind of the opposite of what I strive to give my estate planning clients.  I want to give my clients time to ask and receive answers to their questions about estate planning.  I want to make sure people can make informed decisions and I want to help them understand what their options are.  Certainly it is impossible for me to explain everything about all aspects of estate planning, as I have spent years learning what I know and I cannot pass on years of knowledge and experience to a client in the short time we interact, but I can give my clients a good sense of what they need to know when we meet.

I do realize that everyone I meet with has many options and many attorneys from whom they can choose.  I want you to feel wanted and valued if you choose me, as I want us to have a positive experience working together and to make you feel like I helped you accomplish your goals when we are done.  I want to help everyone that I can in the time I have available, so I want you to have a good experience working with me.

 

I Will Answer Your Questions When We Meet

When I meet with a client for the first time, I have lots of questions to ask of them.  I ask questions about their assets, family situation, what someone wants to have happen to their assets when they die, and who they want to leave in charge of things.  I even have an intake worksheet that I send out to clients to help start the process of answering these questions.

As we go through my questions, I find that people will ask me questions about various aspects of estate planning.  Since we are talking about their estate plan, I find that answering questions about estate planning as it relates to their situation is most helpful in helping people understand estate planning and how to craft an estate plan to fit their specific needs.

Sometimes people want me to explain various concepts of estate planning without referencing any specific situation, or sometimes people want me to explain the entire estate planning, execution, and probate process to them.  Neither approach really works out all that well.  Just as I learned about estate planning in law school by studying examples, I teach my clients by using an example – themselves.  I find that explaining estate planning in the context of your situation tends to work the best.

I also do not handle administering a trust or an estate, or handle probate cases as part of my practice, so I cannot always answer specific questions about probate or the processes involved in probate.  I am happy to answer questions on the process of getting an estate plan set up, and I willingly do so, but I must sometimes admit I don’t know everything…but that is a good thing as nobody wants me to make stuff up!

 

Selecting an Experienced and Knowledgeable Estate Planning Attorney Benefits You

I focus my practice on estate planning, the front end of the entire process.  In general terms, I know what takes place on the back end, probate of a will, or administering a trust, but my focus on the front end really allows me to delve into the important aspects of setting up your estate.  I want to make sure your estate plan reflects what you want, and I want that to be my primary focus.

I have had clients who felt it was vital to have the same attorney handle setting up the estate plan and carry it out when they die.  I can In November of 2022, we spent Thanksgiving in Kansas City with friends.  We drove out the Saturday prior to the week of Thanksgiving and planned to spend the entire week with our friends.  Neither I, nor my wife, planned to work during the week of Thanksgiving.  However, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, my wife’s second level supervisor called her at 8 pm to let her know they were going to have a company wide meeting on Monday, and that the company she worked for was likely to shut down.  That was quite an unexpected phone call for my wife.

She attended the virtual company wide meeting on Monday, and the CEO of the company read a prepared statement informing the company’s employees that as of that moment the company would no longer be able to provide the service the company did – originating reverse mortgages – and that they were to cease all activities of originating loans or marketing.  The CEO then signed off the meeting without giving any more information or taking any questions.  Many members of the company wondered if there had been some sort of technical malfunction, and tried to see if they could fix the technical issue, but that really was all the CEO had to say at the time.

Employees of the company had a lot of questions, none of which were answered that day.  Instead, the employees of the company spent the next week looking for answers to the questions they had like: What happens with loans already in process?  How should we tell clients what is going on?  What does this decision mean for payroll or benefits?  And, what are the employees supposed to do since what they were supposed to be doing was no longer to be done?  The short meeting did not answer any questions, and left the employees confused as to what to do and what would come next.  Managers and others did their best to find answers and inform the employees what would happen with different aspects of the work and their jobs, but nobody got their questions answered at the initial meeting.

respect that, it is just not how I have structured my legal services.  I also have friends whose law practice is focused on probate administration or trust administration.  I am happy to refer clients to those attorneys, as they are better equipped to handle such cases than I am.  I just want to do what is best for you.  If that means referring you to someone else who is better equipped to handle what you need, I have a whole set of attorneys to whom I refer clients who need something I cannot handle.

I am fully aware that there is no requirement to work with me, and I know that you can pick whomever you want to as your attorney.  In fact I encourage you to do as much research as you can before scheduling an appointment with me. That is why I write blogs for you every two weeks – because I want you to have your questions answered.  You deserve to know answers to the questions you have.

 

Get Started With An Estate Planning Attorney You Can Trust

All I want is for you to get what you need.  For almost everyone I meet, I can provide what they need in their estate plan.  I want to help as many people as I can.  If you would like to see it I can help you with your estate planning needs, I would love to meet with you.  You can schedule an appointment by going here, and I will be grateful that you chose me.