“If only I had done this…”

I love working in an Elder Law practice! We get to meet some extraordinary people and help them every day. When people ask me where I work and what I do, the most common response is, “What is Elder Law?”

I am passionate about what we do and the services we provide. I usually start excitedly espousing all the benefits of estate planning, and their eyes glaze over. I would have had their same reaction before I started working in this field. I thought that estate planning was for old people, rich people, or old rich people. And while I’m getting up there in age, I’m not that old yet… right? And I’m certainly not rich!

Now that I know better, I am trying to figure out how to help as many people as possible by sharing what I know. But if I can’t even convince my own family and friends of how important it is, how am I going to convince others? That is my job after all…

This last weekend, after reading an email from a friend, I had an idea for how I might be able to explain what we do in a way that connects with just about anyone. He was writing about how he did a great deal of research and bought a book about “how to get your girlfriend back” after he had a breakup. Long story short, he wished that he had done the research and bought a book on “how to KEEP you girlfriend” when the relationship started.

So, what is Elder Law? And what is my point? This is the simplest explanation:

Half of our practice focuses on helping people plan for a future where they don’t need the services we provide in the other half. This is the “how to keep your girlfriend” portion of the story above.

The other half helps our clients when unpleasant things are happening. Things like guardianships, probate, and saving assets from the costs of long term care due to disability or illness. Of course, this is the “how to get your girlfriend back” part after it’s too late to avoid the unpleasant things.

Estate planning focuses on what to do with your stuff, how to avoid probate and save on estate taxes after you pass away.

Elder Law adds what to do if you (or your beneficiaries) become disabled or incapacitated due to accident, illness or old age. It helps save as many assets as possible from long term care costs, creditors, and predators while you or your beneficiaries are still alive.

If your estate plan doesn’t have Elder Law provisions, there may not be an estate left after paying for long term care or being pillaged by predators.

For the people who don’t zone out after they hear me talking about estate planning, they often ask, “Can’t people do it themselves online for a lot less than hiring an attorney?” They can, but they don’t know what they don’t know. This often results in ineffectual documents that can cost them everything.

I also frequently hear, “I’ve been meaning to do that. I’ll get around to it one of these days.” We always think we will have time later. The thing is accidents and illness are unpredictable.

Many of the clients we see that come to us looking for solutions to the unpleasant things are much like the guy who sent me the email about his breakup. They wish they would have done the things necessary to help avoid the situation they are currently in. If you wait until you need these services, it’s usually way more expensive and stressful than dealing with it NOW!

Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t forget that you usually get what you pay for. And, you never know when to expect the unexpected. Think of the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Maybe relationship advice wasn’t an ounce of prevention that you’ve needed in your life. Maybe it was something else that made you think, if only I had done “this” then I wouldn’t have to face “that.” Estate planning with Elder Law provisions is a “this” that can help you avoid “that.”

If you have an existing plan from another attorney or online provider, we will be happy to review it for you. We would rather see you now than later if there is a problem with your plan or documents.

If you don’t have any planning in place and aren’t sure if you need our services, call us. We will help you weigh the pros and cons and discuss the options available for your situation.

And of course, if you are already in a situation where you need the other half of our services, we are here to guide you through it.

You will never regret being informed and prepared when the time comes to deal with unpleasant things, but you may regret it if you’re not. Call Joplin Elder Law today or fill out the form below to schedule a free consultation.