The Power Of Estate Planning For Young Families

Think you don’t need to think about estate planning if you’re the head of a young family?

Planning a family is one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding life events young couples embark upon. Being blessed with a child is truly one of life’s most precious gifts. Planning for the arrival of a child should also include planning for unexpected accidents or illnesses that could take you, the parents, out of your child’s life.

I know that seems a morbid thought, but estate planning for young families certainly isn’t. It is a sign of true responsibility.

Anything Can Happen

If we’ve learned anything at all from the recent pandemic, it is that anything can happen. One of the most tragic results of the pandemic is that “140,000 children under age 18 in the United States lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or grandparent caregiver who provided the child’s home and basic needs, including love, security, and daily care.”
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p1007-covid-19-orphaned-children.html

Besides the pandemic, children are orphaned every year due to unforeseen accidents and illnesses. Being prepared for the worst and expecting the best is the philosophy underlying the importance of young parents establishing an estate plan. You establish legal guardians for your child. Some religions have God parents that are loosely identified as someone who would care for your children in the event something happened. But, as a parent, you want a legally binding document, and you want to designate someone you’ve discussed the possibilities with who is responsible and committed to raising your child. Without legal documents, the local court would choose someone to raise your child without your input. The common choice of the courts is usually a family member. If there are no family members, then young children get put into the foster care system.

We Are Already Accustomed To Preparing For The Most Common Mishaps

No one ever knows what life has in store. We all go about our business as best we can. We are accustomed to having automobile insurance and health insurance simply because the odds of getting into a fender bender and having a variety of health issues is commonplace. Having an estate plan needs to become as commonplace too. The world is moving faster than ever in this digital age, and we are facing threats to our health and our lives that have never been seen before.

Establishing an estate plan gives parents a sense of confidence and peace knowing that in the worst-case scenario their child or children will be cared for according to their wishes. That is the most responsible thing any parent can do. If you have a child with special needs, this kind of planning is truly integral.

Consciously and deliberately bringing children into the world has always taken a great deal of courage. Every parent knows that raising children is the most challenging and rewarding job on the planet.

If you are the parents of a young child or are expecting your first child and would like to discuss establishing an estate plan, give our office a call 404-370-0696.

We will discuss every topic necessary to provide completely for your children including Durable Power of Attorney for both health care and for finances in the event both parents become incapacitated, in addition to the designation of guardians of your choice for minor children. Once your estate plan is in place, you will go about your life more joyfully than ever – enjoying the gift of life that your child is sure to be.

Looking to find an experienced estate lawyer in the Georgia area who is skilled in asset protection and estate plan preparation? Shannon Pawley is an attorney in Georgia with expertise in estate planning and asset protection. Shannon can provide assistance with creating an estate plan to include making a will and how to establish a trust properly. If you have questions about asset protection or questions about making an estate plan, reach out to Shannon and she will be glad to help answer all the estate planning questions you might have!

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Stacy McKenzie

21:58 07 Feb 24

Shannon and her team were great. Went in for a consultation and got my money worth. She explained and made sure we understood. I will be using them in the future.

Diane J

23:10 24 Jan 24

Waheed Hamid

18:55 17 Dec 23

We had excellent service from Shannon and her team, they are true professionals and helped us and explained every step in the process. We highly recommend The Estate and Asset Protection Law Firm.

Virgil Price Young

20:16 18 Jul 23

Stephanie Deal

15:22 07 Jul 23

My father and I recently used the estate, an asset protection, law, firm for new wheels, new, power of attorney’s, and a creation of a trust. Brooke and her entire team could not have been more helpful and more professional! We loved working with them, and they took everything seriously therefore I didn’t have to worry about a thing. I highly recommend everyone at the law firm.

Barry Amos

01:22 01 Jul 23

Great firm. Had answers to all our questions and explained everything clearly. Never felt rushed to make a decision Could not ask for a better experience. Every one we dealt with was professional and knowledgeable. We highly recommend this firm for estate planning.

Lee Jay

21:30 28 Jun 23

Shannon provided invaluable information regarding a family estate matter. Although her firm did not quite fit our immediate needs, the consultation was informative and extremely HELPFUL! Shannon clearly explained what our next steps should be and offered to assist if we had any questions along the way. Her expertise and willingness to help puts her in a league of her own!

Alice Guppy

02:01 23 Jan 23

Shannon and everyone at The Estate and Asset Protection Law Firm are professional, very knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. They answered all our questions in great detail and the plan they developed for us is exactly what we need to protect our assets and estate as we age especially with my husband's health issues.

Lynn McKibbin-Moore

23:09 24 Feb 22

My husband has dementia. This firm has been patient, kind and professional while we went through a move from a house of 37 years in to a condo to be closer to my daughter and her husband. (Miami to Atlanta). There was also a wedding. All in 6 months.We now have a trust, power of attorney. Wills for my daughter and her husband and more. All at a fair price. I could not recommend higher.

Tammy Lee

22:03 29 Jan 22

Shannon Pawley and her team are exceptional at helping families navigate tough situations. We began working with her upon finding out my father had Stage 4 kidney cancer. His decline was more rapid than expected.Attorney Pawley and her entire team expedited paperwork that allowed me to focus on my father’s care, make decisions that suddenly needed to be made for him medically and financially, and has allowed me the ability to focus more on grieving and less on legal matters upon his passing.It is obvious she is knowledgeable about the best ways to navigate estates to protect the assets for the owners and their loved ones. It is just as obvious that she is passionate and has true heart for what her clients go through.We will be using her for own estate needs, and I recommend her expertise to everybody I can.This service is worth every penny we paid as it has saved us more money and time than I could imagine.

H Jessie Brewer

18:26 18 Nov 21

Attorney Shannon Pawley and paralegal Alexis McCoy are legal professionals that my wife and I highly recommend. Their grasp of the Georgia law pertaining to Medicaid assistance and the interworking's of the State department is exceptional. Additionally, their client-attorney relationship skills are excellent. We wouldn't hesitate to use this law firm again should the need arise.

Dawn Hardy

15:06 13 Nov 21

Shannon and her team are the best! They listened to my needs and provided the best advice. They are patient and professional as well as personable, they didn't make me feel like I was just another client. Highly recommend!