After law school I set up shop in corporate America - working for Walmart—where I was in a great position to make a really fantastic salary, but I wasn’t fulfilled and I didn’t see my kids enough. I was making good money but I was very unhappy. My husband and I decided that our family had to come first, and that all the money in the world wouldn’t make up for a momma that wasn’t around.

This led me to a law firm where we focused on estate planning and probate. I learned pretty quickly that probate is sad, costly, and stressful. The saddest aspect for me was learning it was completely preventable with the right planning. I also discovered that most folks have misconceptions about the law, and that folks think they are prepared, but ultimately, their plan is incomplete or insufficient. We are living in a DIY world, but DIY can be dangerous in estate planning. I have seen good people with good intentions do what they thought was right and believed their online trust was going to protect them and their families. Unfortunately, without proper guidance some of these folks were really no better off than if they had done no planning at all. I also discovered that not all attorneys share my goals and intentions to set up clients in way that will put them in the best position to accomplish their goals and avoid probate in the future. Some of these attorneys are just not experienced, but I believe some attorneys are ensuring they get future business—insufficient plans lead to probate or worse. Everyone can benefit from a plan, and although it is a complex area of law, once I have the opportunity to sit down with someone and break it down into simple terms, and see the lightbulb go off with folks who now understand their options, we can create the right plan for them and their family. This can be life changing. From the immediate relief of knowing they are now truly in a position to protect their wealth and their family to the actual use of those tools that have been put in place when the unthinkable or the inevitable happens, their plan will be there to protect them and their loved ones. A good plan doesn’t have to be complicated, or outrageously expensive, but it is something that everyone needs. I love getting to be a part of that.