'Tis A Gift To Be Simple.....And When It Is Not.
It never fails. New clients walk into my office and sit down for our first meeting of the estate planning process. Once the initial hellos are finished and the legal services agreement reviewed and signed, we get down to business. Nine times out of ten I hear "oh, this will be simple, we are a solid middle class family." Instantly this Shaker song pops into my mind (one I adore and delight in signing at our UU church). The song makes me smile, such a happy little ditty. The client(s) is smiling, thinking this will be simple because they do not have tons of assets, just the normal amount of a normal person or couple here in the heart of the Midwest. A glance at their questionnaire and the tune fades from my mind, replaced by something for chaotic. Something more ominous. Something that is anything but simple. Something along these lines: Why the change in background music? It's simple really. Money is not what makes estate planning co...