I have been a practicing attorney in Oklahoma City since 2009. My background is in courtroom conflict. I spent the first decade of my career trying cases as a Plaintiff’s lawyer, and my accomplishments even include a million-dollar Jury Verdict. I know how to handle a lawsuit and how to go to trial and win.
Two court cases showed me what a family without an estate plan must go through
But then something happened… in a single year, I was referred two separate cases that had similar facts: the husband was the primary income earner who managed the finances and paid the bills but died unexpectantly without an estate plan.
These women were left with not only the loss of their spouse, but complete confusion about how to carry on financially. This hit me hard, as I was forced to confront my own mortality, and visualize what would happen to my wife and four children if I died unexpectantly.
While I contemplated this “wake-up call” regarding my own lack of planning, I fumbled along with Client #1 as she dealt with the wreckage left behind by her late husband.
Just weeks after her husband died, her car was repossessed by the bank. She then realized her house could go into foreclosure, but she didn’t even know how to pay the mortgage; her husband had always paid everything online, so she never received any statements in the mail that would give her that information. Eventually, we were able to get her appointed by the judge to be in charge of her husband’s estate, but it seemed like it took forever.
Once that case was under control, I was referred Client #2. She had two very young children, and her husband also handled the finances. She knew that her husband left behind significant income in his business accounts, but she had no access to them. We eventually had her appointed over the estate, and she was able to access those funds. But it seemed as if it took way too long, considering the circumstances. She meanwhile had to deal with the anxiety of whether she would run out of her own funds waiting for our court hearing.
Both of these cases were clear examples of why estate planning is so important, and how “a little goes a long way,” in terms of the cost of creating a plan versus the cost to the family when there is no plan in place.
As I began practicing probate and estate planning, other lawyers and paralegals in my network began coming to me with their own cases. Another fellow trial lawyer that I knew was having trouble dealing with his late mother’s assets. Even though his mother had an estate plan, certain assets were never titled correctly in her trust – an extremely common and unacceptable reality of typical estate planning in the current legal industry.
I’ve since discovered that many estate plans in Oklahoma are destined to fail simply because of how rushed and “transactional” the process is due to the nature of how most law offices operate.
My Journey into Estate Planning…the right way!
These cases were part of my transformation from a courtroom litigator to a personal family lawyer, seeking to protect my clients and their families, to avoid courtroom conflict during a time when they should be left alone to grieve.
I now practice in the areas of estate planning and as a personal advisor for families, business owners and real estate investors.
I’ve learned from these earlier cases what must be done to avoid catastrophe.
How my estate planning services differ from most attorneys in Oklahoma
My mission is keep families out of court, and out of conflict. And I do that by designing proper estate plans and providing full service before and after the client leaves my office. Here’ are some features that make my process different from other estate planning attorneys in Oklahoma:
First, I do not charge by the hour. Instead, I offer flat fees for all estate plans. This encourages better communication from clients, because clients do not fear being charged for asking questions. Then, I listen to my clients talk about their family dynamics, and most importantly, hearing them describe their worst-case scenario fears. I then go about designing estate plans that specifically avoid these unwanted situations.
Second, I do more than just prepare documents. I ensure the objectives of the plan (i.e. delivering assets) are carried out. As you saw in the above examples, the surviving spouses were completely in the dark regarding the financial assets. Therefore, a proper estate plan clearly identifies and catalogs assets. All of my plans include a family wealth inventory.
Third, I assist the family in communicating the plan. Our plans notify the key players involved – trustees, executors, and heirs – and that gives everyone the confidence to know that the plan will work when the time comes. When I design a Kids Protection Plan, which is part of an estate plan that ensures your young children never end up in a stranger’s custody, we help our client families communicate these responsibilities.
Finally, our plans also pass on more than just money. Our Life and Legacy interviews allow clients to pass on stories, values, principals and other intangibles, such as life lessons.
My job is not finished simply because the original estate plan is put in place. I provide regular reviews of these plans every three years, at no additional cost. These plan reviews ensure that these plans continue to work, even as my clients move through their lives.
The ones who benefit are those you will leave behind
My experiences handling those earlier cases forced me to think about my own family. As I mentioned, I am married and I have four kids. I dreaded the thought that they could be faced with the same situation as my earlier clients. Therefore, I took control of my family’s future. Together with my wife, we put in place our own Life and Legacy Plan, including a Kids Protection Plan. We now have great confidence knowing that our children will be cared for in the event of our passing.
And this is why I enjoy every opportunity to prepare Life and Legacy Plans for my clients. It is the best way to take control of your family’s future. You won’t be the one to benefit from the plan we design – the people who will benefit are the people you love the most who will be dealing with your things after you are gone.
Do you have any questions for me? If you would like to know more, contact my office to schedule a 15-minute discovery call.