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It's May 26, 2014, Memorial Day here in the United States.  Symbolized by vibrant poppies, it is a day to pause and remember those who have their life in battle for the values American's hold dear.  Today I will be with my family, enjoying the start of summer customs but also taking a moment to reflect.  With children just shy of age 6 and 4, I plan to share with them this poem, from with the symbol of poppy grew, I leave you with a reading of In Flanders Fields.

As the parent of preschoolers it was bound to happen, the request to watch Cinderella.  Never a huge fan of Disney movies due to the fact they always manage to kill off the mom, I had kept these films from our kids. But now, on the cusp of turning 6 and 4 they had heard enough from classmates to request a viewing.  A free DVD was up in our closet, a long ago gift from family.  So, this past Mother's Day weekend, as the heavens unleashed a Spring storm over Madison, I curled up with my kids and husband to watch this classic film. Almost immediately my husband turns to be, and with an amused but shocked expression on his face, mouths "it's an estate planning problem!"  And so it was, on my day off from work here I was watching a film with the type of situation I walk clients through on a daily basis.   If you die, and then your spouse dies, who will take care of your children and the funds you leave behind? Guardianship, it's a key sticking point for many pa...

Weekly, if not daily, I find myself in a verbal or email conversation with a client in which I am having to explain why want they have done, or think they can do, is not a wise option.  Frustration on their part is evident.  Why am I telling him or her no when his or her banker, financial planner, sister, or fellow bus rider said they could.  Because I'm their lawyer, that is why.  They accept it, and I feel for them.  Why does it have to be so hard?  Because things get complicated quickly. Add another person to your bank account?  You may have just stepped on the gift tax.  The IRS will not care if the banker suggested this move and thought it was okay. Manage to add your daughter's name to the deed of your condo?  What happens when she dies, gets sued, files for divorce or bankruptcy?  Your financial planner probably never brought those scenarios up before encouraging you to get a quit claim deed to make the change yourself....

The author's inquisitive older child.  One who also loves to learn and ask questions.  Possible scientist, possible lawyer?  Time will tell. Why did you become a lawyer Mama?  This question was posed to me as my oldest child settled into bed last week.   Two reasons: I wanted to help people, and I love to learn.  Law allows me to do both of those things.  He floated off to sleep and I went down the hall to the computer where to process the end-of-the-day emails that routinely pile up from 3:30pm until the fall to sleep, a time I devote to my young children.  Waiting in the email was a reminder about an upcoming Continuing Legal Education seminar offered by the Wisconsin State Bar.  It is a good thing I like life-long learning, because according to the flier -- everything we knew about trusts in Wisconsin is about to change.  Here is a quick overview of why, put together by my associate......who has already attended the seminar! ...