Fun Ways To Convince Your Spouse to Get Started with Estate Planning…
Fun Ways To Convince Your Spouse to Get Started with Estate Planning…
It’s extremely important that both partners understand why they need an estate plan and what the important elements of that plan are. Here is a fun and friendly guide to some of the common objections by reluctant spouses, and what you can say to let them know that you hear them, but that you have a lot to lose and that it’s time to move forward.
1. “We can’t afford it.”
You cannot afford not to do this! This is one of those things in life that we have to find a way to afford, because we have too much to lose if we neglect this important planning. Taking care of our family is our highest value, and if we don’t plan for the care of our kids and assets if something happens to us, not only could the kids end up with the wrong people, they could lose several thousands of dollars in lawyer fees and taxes… Besides, Estate Planning Law Office of Jonathon L. Petty, Inc. offers FREE consultations, so there is no reason not to start this….
2. “I don’t have time.”
Estate Planning is a priority for our family. It’s going to take a heck of a lot more time for our family to sort out the mess if we don’t get something in place. Besides, all we have to do is show up, hear about what our situation looks like, decide on a plan that works for our family, and let Jon Petty (our lawyer) do the rest!
3. “We don’t have a lot, so we don’t need this level of complicated planning.”
Unless you went to law school, you don’t really know what our estate looks like, what dangers our family faces, or what kind of planning would be best for our situation. From what I have already learned, each family is quite unique, and the only way to know what we need is to see an estate planning attorney who can help families like ours.
4. “I can get a will done through Pre-Paid Legal/ LegalZoom/ on the internet.”
Dangerous thinking! These employer programs like Pre-Paid Legal force lawyers to agree to a ridiculously low fee, which makes me think, “What could I possibly be getting for this amount of money?” I hear that most reputable estate planners (like Jon Petty) won’t sign up for these programs, and so most of the attorneys are general practitioners. How are they going to tell us about changes in the law and how specific aspects of estate planning affect our family? And how much will we have to pay if we call the lawyer later on down the road or need follow up work done? As far as Legal Zoom and the internet go, Legal Zoom is actually being sued; https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=legal+zoom+lawsuits by several people’s estates, who claim that the documents didn’t even work! I don’t want to take the risk that my plan doesn’t work and let my kids suffer for it.
5. “My brother or friend is a criminal defense/ personal injury/ corporate attorney, and he said he could do our wills.”
Even Great Criminal Lawyers like Scott Levy https://www.criminal-defense-fresno.com/ are the first guys you call if you’re ever accused of a crime, but he’s not an estate planning attorney. Ask Jon Petty (Estate Planning Lawyer) if he should take on a criminal defense client!?! Estate Planning Lawyers live, eat, and breathe this stuff. They work all day long on solving estate planning puzzles and problems, and when they’re not officially working, they’re reading estates materials and attending estates seminars. Criminal Lawyers don’t do all that stuff, so how will he know when there’s a change in the law that affects our family, or if we have some sort of complicated family or financial situation?
6. “This is just going to be a sales pitch that I don’t need.”
That’s what people who believe in their business do. They ask you to go forward with their services. But it will be a pitch you need; otherwise there will be no pitch. If Jon doesn’t think he can help you, he’ll let you know. He’ll first show you what you stand to lose, and then show you the various ways you can avoid those dangerous scenarios. The good thing is that you get to choose your level of planning and you’ll know exactly how much you’ll be spending. No hourly fees. Take a look at our simple Process: https://jonpettylawfirm.com/Page/planning_process.
7. “Who is Jon Petty, anyway?”
Take a look at his website: https://jonpettylawfirm.com/. Jon donates his free time providing Estate Planning Workshops explaining the importance of Estate Planning. He reviews many common pitfalls with “cookie-cutter” and do-it-yourself documents. He also reviews the importance of Leaving a Legacy for your children and family. He is the best choice for parents who want the very best in life for their kids.
Want to get started on the most important planning you’ll ever do for your family? Give me a call at (559) 374-2223 to get started. You’ll be glad you did.
Best Wishes!
Ramona
