Your duty to the ones you love isn’t a burden. On the contrary, it elevates you. Once you become someone’s protector and provider, you can finally manifest the most beautiful virtue of all: benevolence.
Your partner. Your children. Even your pets. Everyone who depends on you will need you the most if you are no longer there to care for them. Fortunately, your benevolence can endure long after your passing or incapacitation. You just need the Legal Mama.
“I founded Breiner Law Firm to help my clients make the best personal, financial and legal decisions for themselves and their families – both during and after their lifetimes,” said Sarah Breiner, the Legal Mama herself. “Whoever you are, you deserve an advisor you can trust to safeguard your loved ones’ interests during the most difficult time of their lives.
“A will, trust, power of attorney and advance healthcare directive are all essential elements of estate planning. Whether they detail their needs precisely or would rather rely on our expert guidance, the Breiner Law team creates those legal documents for our clients on a daily basis. But we go beyond estate planning. We provide legacy planning, which assures that your surviving family will be cared for in exact accordance with your wishes.
“Legacy planning is a must for any family with minor children. In addition to naming the guardian you would want to raise your children in your absence (as well as multiple backup guardians, in case of a truly worst-case scenario), it informs that guardian of how you would like your children raised. Your spiritual beliefs, your values, your culture, your philosophies, even the musical instruments and second languages you would like your children to learn – all of these are your legacies, and they deserve preservation. That’s why we create the Guardian Guide, which clearly lays out all of your instructions for your children’s upbringing.
“The Guardian Guide also includes a legally recognized emergency wallet card, which identifies exactly whom you wish to care for your children in the event of a crisis. Not the state government. Not a family member who only volunteers to help when they sense financial opportunity. Just the person you trust most, and no one else.
“To some, the best person to raise their children isn’t necessarily the best one to make financial decisions on their behalf. We accommodate them by offering the option of designating both a ‘financial parent’ and a ‘physical parent.’ It’s a great solution if you respect a particular family member for their financial acumen and believe they would make a responsible trustee, but are also aware that they aren’t prepared to nurture children.
“Although your wealth can help protect your child, it is also crucial to protect your child from your wealth. You may trust your child enormously. But if you recall the indiscretions of your own youth, then you understand why a check for your remaining assets could be a destructive gift for your child to receive on their 18th birthday.
“Fortunately, the government’s default plan doesn’t have to be your plan. You can choose to postpone your child’s inheritance until they reach a wiser and less impulsive age. You can also set up a trust that strictly pays for their education, home, and other day-to-day needs. A lifetime asset protection trust can guarantee financial security to your child, as well as work exclusively to their benefit even if they one day get divorced or have creditors.
“Your children may not be the only ones who depend on you. I volunteer at Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS) in St. Paul every Friday. Parrots and cockatoos are extreme examples, as either can live to be over 100 years old, but they always remind me that too many people fail to consider what would happen to their beloved pets if they were no longer around to care for them.
“When they first hear about estate planning for pets, people always conjure up an image of a wealthy heiress who bequeaths several million dollars to her Persian cat. But pet planning doesn’t have to be quite so dramatic in practice. In addition to naming a suitable, willing and nonallergic guardian, it usually includes setting aside a reasonable sum of money that would go toward your pet’s food and veterinary care. Pet planning can save any pet, which the law treats as personal property, from winding up in a shelter. It is especially important for cats, Persian or otherwise, as they are sadly more likely to get passed over for adoption once they have reached adulthood.
“Your duty to your loved ones transcends what you’re able to do for them today. It must include looking ahead and planning for every possible contingency – especially the worst ones, which don’t include you in them. The world doesn’t always give us the future we hoped for. That’s why I’m here: to empower you to protect your family’s future, no matter what fate has in store.”
Protect the only things that truly matter in life. Visit legalmama.com today to schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation, family wealth planning session, or estate plan checkup and review.
MAARS has cared for approximately 1,500 birds since their foundation in 1999. Today the non-profit’s volunteers look after approximately 85 birds, ensuring each eats a nutritious diet, receives full veterinary care, and lives in a safe, clean and enriching environment. Please visit maars.org to learn how you can help support their mission.