Having A Will Simply Does Not Ensure the Care of Your Kids If the Unthinkable Happens!

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If you are a parent of children who are counting on you, your estate plan must begin with ensuring your children would always be taken care of by the people you want, in the way you want, no matter what happens.

At Obenauf Law Group, one of our areas of greatest focus is in planning for the well-being and care of the children you love.

Without advance legal planning for the care of your children, if the unthinkable happens to you, here’s what could happen:

Your children could be placed into the care of Child Welfare Services (yes, even if you have a will in place and even if you have a living trust) and, yes, it would very likely only be temporary, but trust me, you never want your children in the arms of strangers. Not even for a minute.

Your children could be put into the custody and care of someone you would never want, like that one family member who has good intentions, but you’d never want raising your kids.

A judge who doesn’t know you, or your family, will decide who will raise your kids, even if it’s the last person you
would ever want

Your family could get into a long, drawn out custody fight or there could be a challenge to the guardians you have designated

Some of the value of your assets could be lost to court costs and other unnecessary fees through the probate process, a court process that can tie up your assets for years and deprive your kids of the resources they need to live comfortably, which can be avoided with advance legal planning

When your kids turn 18, they get a check for whatever assets are left

There are unscrupulous people out there who make it their business to look at the public records to find out when 18 year olds are getting that inheritance check

Many estate planning attorneys do not address these issues, and they do not plan from a parent’s perspective

Yes, these things scare us too. That’s why we offer a Kids Protection Plan with every estate plan we do for families with young children.

What is a Kids Protection Plan®?

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A Kids Protection Plan® is a set of instructions, legal documents and even an ID card for your wallet, which you need to have if you have kids at home who count on you for their well-being and care.

If you are in an accident, your Kids Protection Plan® will make sure your children are never taken into the custody of Child Welfare Services or the care of anyone you wouldn’t want because the police don’t have clear instructions from you. And your Kids Protection Plan® will ensure your children are raised by people you choose, not someone chosen by a Judge who doesn’t know you.

To get started with your Kids Protection Plan®, contact us.

How We Guide You to Leave a Legacy That’s About Much More Than Just Your Money

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After you are gone, your loved ones will miss you deeply. They will long for your words of counsel and concern. Hearing your voice again would be a tremendous gift.

Through our unique legacy process, you can give your loved ones the most precious gift – a lasting expression of your love. What could be more valuable?

At Obenauf Law Group, we believe estate planning is not just about transferring your financial assets and personal belongings. It’s also about capturing and transferring your valuable intangible gifts: who you are and what’s important to you – your values, insights, stories and experience.

When I was first in practice, I would tell my clients to record a message for their loved ones and put it in a safe place or simply write notes to their children letting them know how they felt about them. But so few people ever actually did it. We just get so caught up with the day to day of our lives that focusing in on leaving a legacy seems to take a back seat.

So we realized we’d have to build this into our planning process and not make it just another thing you’ll get done someday. That’s why at Obenauf Law Group we make it part of our planning for every client to help you capture and pass on more than just your money: your intellectual, spiritual and human assets–who you are and what’s important to you.

For more information about how we help you pass on your most valuable assets – your values, insights, stories and experience – to your loved ones, or about our resources for leaving your family with a true legacy, please contact us.

WHAT WOULD IT BE WORTH?

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Can you picture someone who’s passed away, someone you love and miss deeply? Can you recall a conversation you had with them? Can you remember the sound of their voice and what they told you? What if you could hear their voice again?

What if they could speak to you—heart to heart—and share their wisdom and advice? What would it be worth to you to hear their words one more time?

What is it worth to you to know that they’ll always know exactly how much you love them? It’s worth a lot to us and we are honored to be able to provide you and your family with this gift.

Estate planning at Obenauf Law Group is not one size fits all for everyone. We offer three levels of planning.

Our Services

Our firm believes in personalized service for each and every client. Our approach is educational and proactive – we first determine each client’s individual needs, desires and values, and then tailor their plan to best fulfill their dreams.

We represent families throughout varying stages of life:

• traditional two-parent families or single parents wishing to provide for and protect their children and themselves
• unmarried couples who are either solidifying their relationship through proper planning or dissolving their relationship with the assistance of caring counsel
• blended families negotiating the challenges of creating new relationships with varying expectations
• high net worth families seeking strategies for minimizing estate and income taxes
• family business owners seeking ways to protect and expand their companies and considering how and when to transition to the next generation of ownership
• estate executors and beneficiaries navigating the court process of probate administration
• family members or trustees carrying out the legacy left behind through a trust administration

With each of our estate plans we include a no-charge 3 year review to ensure that as our clients’ lives change, so does their estate plan and ensure that all our clients’ assets are held properly for maximum protection. And, we have annual membership programs for clients that desire even more service. Whether you participate in one of our membership programs or not, we keep all of our clients updated about changes in the law and issues that might affect their lives.

In addition, we advise clients regarding premarital agreements, perform reviews of existing plans that may be out of date, and handle all aspects of administration after the death of a loved one. And, we keep our clients corporate records up to date so that they have the maximum protection from personal liability that a corporation can provide.

Our clients benefit from the care we offer the whole family from free estate checkups to basic planning documents for young adult children; we welcome you to contact us and learn about becoming part of our client family.

At most estate planning law firms the relationship ends when you sign your documents. At Obenauf Law Group, we see the signing your estate planning documents as the beginning of our relationship with your family.

Over time, your assets will change; your family may change; we know for sure that the law will change. Your plan must accommodate all of these changes in order to make sure your plan works when your family needs it the most. If your plan is not properly updated over time, your documents become worthless… worth no more than the paper they were printed on. And the costs of failing to update are typically far greater than keeping your plan current.

To help you make sure your plan is always current, Obenauf Law Group offers Family Wealth Membership Programs.

With each of our estate plans we include a no-charge three year review to ensure that as our clients’ lives change, so does their estate plan and to ensure that all our clients’ assets are held properly for maximum protection. We also include in our planning process a creative way for our clients to pass on more than just their financial assets, but also their human assets— who they are and what is important to them. And, we have annual membership programs for clients that desire even more service. Whether you participate in one of our annual membership programs or not, we keep all our clients updated about changes in the law and issues that might affect their lives.

Some of the Benefits Provided Under Our Membership Plans include:

• Annual Plan Review with Unlimited Plan Amendments
• Annual Family Wealth Legacy Interview to transition your most important and most frequently lost family wealth- who you are and what’s most important to you
• Annual Membership service which provides 24-7 on-line access to health care and guardianship documents
• Substantial discount on our fees for advising your loved ones after you’re gone
• Annual Review of Your Assets and Update of Your Asset Spreadsheet
• And much more, including valuable membership enrollment bonuses

For more information about our unique programs, please contact us.