Whether you are an active duty service member or veteran of the armed forces, your estate planning should always be up to date. Having your estate plan current provides the peace of mind that only comes when you know your loved ones will be cared for should something happen to you. Military families have particular estate planning needs, and there are unique benefits available to them. We have all heard the urban legend of the military member whose parents inherit his/her SGLI and leaves the current spouse and children left with nothing because the service member never updated the dependency information. Make sure it doesn’t happen to your family. A proper plan is worth the additional expense. Each family situation is unique. What you think you want to happen, may not be what actually happens, unless the proper documentation is in place. Whether you are receiving military retirement pay, a private pension, or income from the military or private employment, your death can cause serious financial hardship to your family. It is a tough, but important, decision so make it count.

People are living longer than ever before. The fear of end of life now includes a fear of “if I live too long”. As you approach your senior years, certain legal issues do become more important. Chances are good, for instance, that at some point you’ll require long-term care to enable you to age peacefully in your home or you may need to find the assistance you need to live meaningfully in an assisted living community. Similarly, you may also be thinking about what will happen to your estate once you pass away. While it is normal to have a certain amount of fear and anxiety, you can help ease those fears by being prepared. The key to successful planning is taking action as soon as possible, while you’re still alert, aware, and healthy. We can help you develop an end-of-life care and estate plan that meets your needs and allows your loved ones to understand your wishes even if it gets to the point when you can no longer communicate with them.

There is nothing that is easy about dealing with the passing of a loved one. It can be chaotic and happen in a single moment. Yet, even when the death is anticipated and there is time to emotionally and practically prepare, there are still challenges, hard challenges. Because of finances, fear, frustration, or ignorance many people will procrastinate taking care of final estate matters. Freedom from the fears related to the death of a loved one comes from education, thoughtful big-picture planning, and communication. We understand the enormous responsibility that a loved one is tasked with when you die. It’s not too early to make arrangements for the future of your estate. Making end-of-life plans is the practical way to ensure that your final wishes are honored. Additionally, having a secure plan protects loved ones from the stress of administering your property and other assets.

Whenever faced with legal action or litigation, whether you are at the receiving or the giving end, you can be filled with fear and anxiety which is why most people become overwhelmed. However, there are things that can be done to help ease your fears and create a better experience when legal action is required. The greatest step you can take to empower yourself and help overcome fear is KNOWLEDGE.

The more you know, or understand a situation, brings the confidence you need to move forward with less fear. Know your legal options. Hiring a great attorney will give you the answers you need and knowing you have an excellent team behind you will give you courage when facing challenges brought by legal action. Know what to expect. Now that you have chosen your legal team and the best legal route to take, learn what steps will follow. This may include; required documents, court dates and any other action items that may be involved with your case. The more you prepare in the beginning, the easier the route will be in the future. Litigation and legal action will seem less daunting when broken down into manageable steps. At Winsor Law Group our goal is to empower our clients out of fear and into action!

Fear over the success or failure of a business enterprise affects every entrepreneur. Loss from business failure affects the business owner, their family, their employees, and their employee’s families directly through loss of income. Business owners should care deeply about potential loss, and maintaining their businesses bottom line and efficiency for that reason alone. Proper planning, like life insurance planning, business planning, and estate planning, can deal with unexpected losses properly so that an enterprise can continue to operate and even thrive. Consulting with a trusted professional on these issues is critical. Here is a great principle: if the transaction involves more money that you can stand to lose, get professional assistance. The ripple effect that came from the failure of investment banks during the last great recession is a perfect example of why society in general needs small business to succeed, plan correctly, and make sound business decisions.

“I’m a young Chiropractor who hired Matt on to make sure that my business structure got off on the right foot. He really helped me out. He took time to explain all the fancy legal wording that everyone hates. He was always available and really made me feel like he had my best interest in the whole process. I highly recommend this guy, super thorough, standout character, and a genuinely good lawyer.” – Josh A.

I think one of the scariest things I have ever done was become a parent. I mean, I went from only worrying about what I needed or wanted to being completely in charge of this little person who was 100% reliant on me to keep him alive. It was terrifying. But as most parents know, acting terrified is not an option. As a parent, you must make difficult decisions every day. What car seat is best? Who should I choose as my pediatrician? What type of milk should I give my child? Should I even give my child milk? Do my kids need vitamins? Where should my child go to preschool? I mean, EVERY DAY we have to make decisions for our children, and all we can do is our best. As a mom of three young boys, I am so thankful that I have a solid estate plan because I know that if I die while my boys are still young, they will be taken care of by people who love them and can make those everyday decisions like I do. I want my children to have all of the opportunities that they would have had if I were still alive. I don’t want to be afraid that their new guardians will struggle to make ends meet because they took my children into their home. My children are my responsibility and I cherish them. I want my boys to know, even if I die, that I have created an estate plan to ensure that they will be able to enjoy life to its fullest. Whether that means, being able to have money to go on the class field trip to the zoo or continue with the karate lessons that they have fallen in love with. I don’t want my boys to have to quit doing the things that they love after they have already lost the parents that they love.

Estate Planning is an area of law that everyone needs but most people don’t want to think about. I have talked with dozens of people who are afraid to make estate planning decisions because they don’t know what the future holds… none of us do. I always remind these people that estate plans can be amended, and what you really should be afraid of is not having a plan at all. For example, if you don’t have an estate plan that designates your choices for guardians of your children when you die, you are effectively deciding to let a judge, who likely doesn’t know you or your children (or your mother-in-law, sister, etc.) to decide who will be the best person to raise your children. No matter how great the judge is, he/she has limited knowledge about your family/friends and will make the decision based on what is presented before them. You don’t want to let a judge choose who will raise your children. Once you have your estate plan completed, you will have such a huge weight lifted from your shoulders knowing that your children will be taken care of by the guardians you chose. -Jessica Summerhays – Attorney WLG

“In February 2015 we were driving home to AZ from Utah and we hit black ice and ended up in the ditch. When the tow truck showed up he told us that the window where our one year old was sleeping should have shattered but instead there were only scratches. We had three children asleep in the back of the car and only one woke up and soon fell back asleep. It was in this moment that we knew that we needed to protect our precious family because at the time we did not have Life Insurance or an Estate Plan. Soon after getting back we met with Mark at Winsor Law Group and he helped us acquire both. It has been a relief knowing that our family is protected and has a plan for the just in case.” – Esther S.

Graduation season has official come-and-gone, and just like that many parents are preparing their young high school graduates to head off toward their next stage in life. Many young adults will be heading to a new city or even a new state to attend college and many parents will be left worrying about their children. This fear is natural, this will be the first time for many high school graduates that they will be out in the world on their own. Will their children heed their parents advice that has been bestowed upon them for the prior eighteen years? It’s hard to imagine anything happening to a loved one, especially a child, but there are a few ways to prepare for the unimaginable. Through a Financial Power-of-Attorney and a Health Power-of-Attorney, your new adult can be protected. These simple documents will allow a parent to be free from fear when it comes to who will have authority to care for their child if anything were to happen. Preparing for the unimaginable will allow for any parents who are soon to be “empty nesters” free from fear.

“I sometimes see or hear stressful stories come across my news feed or from friends and coworkers about young students in emergency situations and parents are not able to help them. College students can run into difficult situations where they will need their parents or loved ones to step in – regardless of proximity to the student. For example, some students will travel for vacation and get caught in a situation where they need financial or medical information released to a parent or friend, or need their parents to make important health or financial decisions on their behalf. Even if the student lives at home or goes to a local college, parents may not legally be able to help. Once the child turns 18 years old, a parent’s legal rights for that child expire. For example, a hospital will not release medical information to the parent without the child’s prior written consent (I.e., a POA). These scenarios can be scary and are often overlooked when preparing to send a child to College.

I encourage all college students and their parents to have a discussion of what will happen if an emergency situation arises. A properly drafted Power of Attorney and Healthcare Power of Attorney will allow you to select a trusted agent, such as a parent, group of people, or organization to step in and take action when you need help the most. Proper preparation can bring peace of mind.” – Justin Call – Attorney WLG