My friend and mother both agreed with my explanation despite its simplicity. It of course wasn't the only reason I loved the area of law, but it was the explanation that people who know me very well would understand. I am a planner. I mean I am a detail loving, chart making, lord of the "Plan B", Preemptive problem solving is somewhat of a hobby, so Mom and friend easily connected the dots. But my interest in trust and estate planning really started my second year of law school while listening to my professor talk about the function of a trust document. She waxed on about how a well thought out document could spare a family of some of the trauma following the death of a loved one.
This particular lecture resonated with me. I sat remembering the upheaval following my grandmother's death. She died with little warning and left behind eleven children and scores of grandchildren. She was not a wealthy woman but she was respected in her community and loved by all. She had owned land and loads of items with which everyone had some sentimental attachment. One aunt had tried to take out an insurance policy on my grandmother before she passed, but was stopped by another aunt who thought it was in poor taste. So, when my grandmother died, she had already picked out her burial spot, but no one had figured out who would take on the costs of a funeral, casket and burial. A huge family with no plan. Cue petty bickering, hurt feelings and someone getting stuck with the bill. It was a mess. But it was the kind of mess that could have been prevented. At least that's what my professor told me. And I was hooked. This was a real way to help people take care of their families long after they were gone from this world. I began to delve into the law and mechanics of how to create a legacy that went beyond the passing of money and property. I was determined to help people plan a legacy of love.
K.W.
