Captain’s Blog: 002
Plan Early. Plan Often. Plan Well.
It’s more than just a catch phrase. Those three little sentences represent the foundation upon which Beach Barrister was built. Our hope is that it becomes your mantra as you make legal plans throughout your lifetime.
Plan Early. I’ve said this countless times before, and I’ll surely say it again. And again. The absolute WORST time to plan for an emergency is DURING an emergency.
When we receive a client in an elder law firm, the first thing we do is identify whether a case is Proactive Planning or Emergency Planning. Proactive planning is when the client is preparing for future life events well in advance. Emergency planning is when the client is experiencing a health crisis that demands immediate action.
During a health crisis, the client and family members bear an enormous amount of stress and anxiety. Emotions run high; tempers run short. Beneath the far-ranging display of emotions, the underlying thread is typically, and understandably, fear: Fear for a loved one’s safety. Fear of not knowing what’s going on. Fear of not knowing what to do. Fear of not knowing how to accomplish what needs to be done.
Fear is not an optimal environment for learning the complexities of law.
After all parties understand what’s going on…after a game plan has been established and implemented… and after the emergency has passed…nearly all Emergency Planning clients and their family members will say, “I wish we had done this sooner.” They’re referring to Proactive Planning.
Plan often. An estate plan should be revisited every ten years or when a life event occurs. An estate plan is comprised of living, breathing documents that should reflect your current life and your current perspectives in an ever-changing world. They acknowledge marriages, divorces, births, relocations, relationships, retirements, and deaths…not only yours, but your loved ones. An estate plan isn’t a “One and Done” thing. As you and your family change, so should your estate plan.
Plan Well. When you plan early and when you revisit that plan often, you’re already on your way to planning well. The last ingredient is finding a local, licensed, reputable attorney to help you. Your attorney will explain state-specific laws, and most importantly, they will inform you of estate planning and other elder law topics that directly apply to your life circumstances.
Plan Early. Plan Often. Plan Well.
Beach Barrister is NOT a law firm. We are an educational forum. We do NOT legally counsel individuals based upon their specific life circumstances or planning goals.
Beach Barrister is NOT a substitute for legal counsel. We highly encourage every viewer of this site to seek a local, licensed, reputable attorney to assist you with your state-specific laws, planning goals, and execution of documents.
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