My clients are a very diverse group, with a wide range in age, income, and background. What they have in common is their desire to exercise some control over their personal planning. In some cases, the planning horizon may be decades, but in others the horizon is immediate, such as when chronic care of a spouse or parent is imminent. My clients include:
- Adults who, while caring for their own children, find themselves concerned about their aging parents, and the plans those parents are making for their own care
- Aging adults, who though still active, are looking ahead to what if ....
- Elderly adults, coping with the challenges of a spouse in declining health and worried about the financial impact that will have on them
- Gay and lesbian couples who, though perhaps not legally married, are very concerned about protecting themselves and each other with plans that recognize each other and their respective futures
- Young couples starting out and experiencing a new sense of family
To learn more about me, please visit my Attorney Profile page.
It takes experience and compassion to work across many generations. I'm not, yet, elderly, but I chose this area of practice because of many personal experiences. In my 20s, before I became an attorney, I found myself trying to figure out how to care for my grandparents. I often felt overwhelmed by the challenges presented when Grandma and Grandpa seemed so suddenly to pass from being competent and independent grandparents to infirm, and often very confused, elders. Helping to manage their finances, then their hired caretakers, juggling hospital stays and nursing home admission, and more, was often overwhelming. Looking back, there were some very funny moments. My grandfather, by then 91, was suffering from Alzheimers and would toss notes off the balcony to tell anyone who found them that he was being held "prisoner in 12D". But when he would put on his hat and coat at midnight and try to go for a walk alone, it wasn't at all funny.
By my 30s, it was no longer my grandparents, but my own parents who needed me to be supportive. Then it was my Aunt Ruthie ... then my in-laws! I was firmly in the "sandwich generation". Aside from the practical, day to day challenges, the subtle role reversal implied in giving help made for some very tense times. All of these elders were fiercely independent, and yet in some cases they were engaging in activities that could possibly have comprised their physical and financial security and render them very dependent - exactly the opposite of the outcome they wanted for themselves. Again, there were some very funny moments, but the stress of living through these moments is also a powerful memory.
Contact my office today for clear advice and compassionate service for all of your personal and estate planning needs.