Friday, November 21, 2008
A Twist on Holiday Gift Giving
Yesterday a new client called to put herself on my calendar, and then she asked something I had not yet heard in my practice...could she give my legal services to her sister as a holiday gift? Apparently both women had attended a seminar of mine and wanted to work with me. So, for a holiday gift my client is giving her sister a “gift certificate” towards an estate plan. This unique gift has an underlying principle not that uncommon in the legal field – someone else paying for a person’s legal representation. One important fact I had to educate the client on was that even though she was paying the bill, her sister would be my client. That means attorney client privilege would prevent me from disclosing any information to the sister paying the bill. My client understood and was thrilled to have finished her holiday shopping without having to make a trip to the mall.
Melinda Gustafson Gervasi is a Madison attorney and author whose current practice focuses on estate planning and probate. She is committed to increasing the public’s understanding of estate planning and probate issues. In 2013 she released her first book, Middle Class Philanthropist where she illustrates how anyone can leave a legacy. Gustafson Gervasi Law Office, LLC, 5555 Odana Rd., Suite 205, Madison, WI 53719
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1 comment:
This sounds absurd until you consider how important things like making arrangements for you children in the unlikely event of a tragedy. Most gifts from last holiday season are forgotten by now. An estate plan, if written flexibly, can last for years.
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