By Travis Meyers, Associate Attorney, The Law Office of Libby Banks, PLLC
The past year was amazing for my family. Two notable highlights are starting a new job with The Law Office of Libby Banks and my wife and I welcoming our first child in July. As I reflect on the need to update my trust to plan for our new baby, I look back at my original experience creating an estate plan with Libby and why I joined her firm as an associate attorney.
When I first thought about estate planning for myself and my wife, I realized I did not know much more than what I learned in law school. I knew it was important to plan for my loved ones if I passed away, but I didn’t know exactly what that would look like.
Serendipitously, one day I found The Law Office of Libby Banks printed on the front cover of our local newspaper. I knew Libby and her family from church and mutual friends in our neighborhood. I knew Libby had an excellent reputation as an estate planning attorney and scheduled a free initial consultation.
During our initial meeting, my wife and I discussed our concerns with Libby. We were a young couple and believed we did not have the assets to justify creating a trust. I thought trusts were only for the rich, and that a will would be enough to accomplish our goals.
After listening to our goals and concerns, Libby asked us a few questions.
“Have you considered creating a plan for when you are incapacitated?” No, I had not considered the need for someone to handle our finances and/or healthcare decisions if we could not handle them ourselves.
“Is it important that your loved ones avoid probate if you pass away?” Even though I studied this area in law school, I never considered that probate could happen in our case with a will plan.
Based on our goals, Libby recommended creating a trust plan, explaining that it would be the most efficient way for us to avoid probate, and plan for both incapacity and death, while creating a flexible plan that can change as our life changes.
We chose the trust plan. Libby and her team drafted our plan, guided us through the different parts of our trust and advised us on when to think about making changes. The entire process was smooth, and we were given the gift of peace of mind.
Due to this experience, when asked to interview and ultimately join the firm, I jumped at the chance. Their service to our community and commitment to giving peace of mind to their clients fits naturally with my personal values and mission as a lawyer.
I am proud to work with this compassionate team of people and look forward to helping you create your own peace of mind. Call us at 602-375-6752.
