Collin County Living Well Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 11

Elder Law is also about traditional estate planning and probate. Lori and her team have helped countless clients prepare Wills and a variety of other planning documents, to help communicate their wishes and preferences to their family and heirs. She also helps family grieve through the probate process, both in simple and contested matters, after a loved one passes. One piece of advice she offers to parents creating a Will, based on her years of first-hand experience, “Try to be as fair and equal as you can when deciding what to leave your children. If they feel like they were slighted in your Will, they will fight over everything and no one wins in that battle.” Parents sometimes think they should reward the child who is fulfilling the job of caregiver. Other times, they want to keep money out of the hands of a child who has been financially irresponsible or been in other kinds of trouble. While these good intentions are understandable, the outcome can be ugly. It is nearly impossible to separate an inheritance from emotion. “I’ve seen too many children drain an entire estate on attorneys’ fees while fighting each other in court.” Good communication is the key to avoiding this kind of dispute, and Lori counsels her clients to make sure their wishes are clear and explained in a way that their families can understand and accept. Lori understands that no one in a fighting family ever wins. Lori and her sister jokingly “pinky swear” every few months that they will never fight over their parents. For many families, bringing up the topic of estate planning is the hardest part. “I think people believe that they can avoid dying just by refusing to think about it,” says Lori with 6??R?( ?N( ?2v???rF??V?F????bW2WfV?GV???6??WN( ?2&?6?F?RgWGW&Rv?F?F?R6V7W&?G??BV6R?b??BF?B6??W2g&??6&VgV??????r?( ?w&?v??rW???W"6???F?v????&?v2&?6VBF?&W7V7B?W"V?FW'2f?"F?V?"v?6F???B?fRW?W&?V?6R???r?v?V?6?R6VW26V???'2???W"6???V??G??Vv?V7FVB??v??&VB??"W????FVB?6?R?2v?BF??fR&??R??&?FV7F??r?B6W'f??rF?V??F??W"6V???'2??B6?fVV???RF?W&R&R6????F???w2v?&???rv??7BF?V??B?B?2&V6??R??&?( ?2?76???F?f?v?Bf?"F?V??BF?V?"&?v?G2???&?&Vf?V7G2?( ?6?V?F?( ?B6?f?"&WGFW"v?F?7V?B?F?2?( ??W"76???f?"?V???r?F?W'2?2F?Rf?V?FF????b?W"&7F?6R?6?R?2F?R&?f?V?B6V?6R?bW'?6RF?B6??W2g&?????v??r?( ?F??2?2v?W&R??7W?6VBF?&R?( ??W"FV?w&VW2??Vv?76?7F?B?V???R6?????26?2?( ?v?&???rf?"??&??2&VV??fR6??v??rW?W&?V?6R???&?( ?26??76???f?"WfW'?F???r6?RF?W2???6?VF??r?W"f????W"6?V?G2?BF?Rv?&?V?f?&???V?BBF?R?ff?6R???7?&W2?R?WfW'???RB??&??WRb76?6?FW2?2?v?2v?&???rf?"??R6?????W'?6^( >( 76W'f??r?W"6?V?G2?( ?2w&?W?F?W?fVV???B?b&W77W&RF?f??BF?R&W7B6??WF???2V?6??2?76?&?R?( ?F??R?2??B?v?2????W"6?FRv?V?FV??rv?F??V?FW&?6?V?B?????7B?666???2?vR?fRF?v?&?f7BF?V?7W&RF?B?W"6?V?G2?fR??&RF??Rv?F?F?V?"??fVB??W2?fVV??r??R??R?fR?FRF?ffW&V?6R??V??^( ?2?fW2?2F?R&V6??v??vR??F?F??2?( ?FG2?V???R?76?6?FRGF?&?W?W&??V?&6RV?V?FW2??&?( ?26&VgV?&??6R?b6??76????B&VF??W72?( ?V??R&R?v?26???rF?B??&??2??B( ?G??6?GF?&?W?( ?&V6W6R?b?W"vV?F?R&?6?v?F??W"6?V?G2?'WB6?R6?&GF?R??6?W'Bv?F?F?R&W7B?bF?V???F?????W"???V?G2?gFV?V?FW&W7F??FR?W"&V6W6R?b?W"6&??r?GW&R?( ?6?2W&???( ?'WB?B??W2W&fV7B6V?6RF??S?6?R6&W26??V6?&?WB?W"6?V?G2??BF?BG&?fW2&?F??W"???F?W72F?F?V??B?W"F?&V?W72v?&?f?"F?V??( ???R6?V?B6?B?( ??fRv?&?VBv?F????GF?&?W?2??B??&??2??R?bF?R&W7B??fR???v?????&V6V?Bf??F?7WFR?6?R'&?Vv?B??F?R&?v?BW?W&?V?6R?B???v?VFvR?'WB?Bv2?W"6??76???FR&?6?F?B&V???FR?W"7F?B?WBF??R?( ???&???B???6W'fW2?W"6?V?G2v?F??W"???v?VFvR?BW?W&?V?6^( >( 76?R?26???GFVBF?VGV6F??r6V???"GV?G2?BF?V?"f??W2F?&?Vv??WB?W"6???V??G????&??2?V?&W"?bF?R?F????6FV??bV?FW"?rGF?&?W?2?VGV6F??r?B7F?F??rWf?"V?FW"?77VW2??F?R?Vv?6???V??G??6?R?27F?fR???W"6?W&6??B?W"6???V??G??6W'f??r2?WF??72??fW7F?vF?"f?"F?R6?G??b????Bf??V?FVW&??rBf&?WG??b???&?f?B?&v?F???2v?F??W"6??2'B?bF?R??V?r?V?( ?26W'f?6R?VwVR????F?&??2?WG&V6????&?V????2&W6V?F??rg&VR6V??'2??V?FW"?r?77VW2B&WF?&V?V?B6???V??F?W2?76?7FVB?f??r???W2??B6?W&6?W27&?726????6?V?G??B??'F?FW?2?&V6?F??rF?R??'GV??G?F?&?f?FRVGV6F?????F??72F?B&R6??gFV??7V?FW'7F??B?6?R?6?7W?'G2F?RVff?'G2F???RGf?6W2??F?Rf?v?Bv??7B6??R?bF?R??7BFV&??FF??rF?6V6W2F?BffV7BF?RV?FW&?F?F????&??B?W"7Ffbv????fRFV?v???r??F?R??V??W.( ?2?V??'?v?F??2f???F?&?6RgV?G2?Bv&V?W72??F?Rf?v?Bv??7BF??2FW'&?&?RF?6V6RF?BffV7G2F?R?fW2?b6????V??R???&?( ?2f?&??2?6?7F?fV???f??fVBv?F?F?R&???6??f??6R&??V7B?v??6?&?f?FW2??FV?6?fRF?W&??B??v???r7W?'BF???&?fRV?G??b?fRf?"F??6Rff?7FVBv?F?&???6??( ?2F?6V6R???&?G'V?f?V?B?W"6???rv?V?6?RV?FW&VBF?Rf?V?B?bV?FW"?r?6?R?26??&??VB?W"f?VW2?B76???2v?F??W"VGV6F????BW?W&?V?6RF??V?6V7W&RgWGW&Rf?"6V???'2?W&R????'F?FW?2???&??2???7?&F????B&??R??FV??W6??r?W"F??R?BF?V?G2F?6W'fRF?RV??Rv???VVB?W"?V?F?R??7B?W&??r?V?&6R?GF?&?W????WT?tf?&??6???s"??b?#SC????&???WRb76?6?FW0??