Estate Planning for Every Stage of Motherhood From Crayons to College
College-Aged Children When your children grow up and head to college to start their adult lives, you want to set them up for the next exciting chapter. When they turn 18, set up medical directives in your plan to allow you to make medical decisions and access their health records and information if something happens to them. You should also designate yourself as their financial power of attorney so you can help manage their finances, take care of bills like rent for them, and add money to their bank account so they can handle their college expenses. It’s not too early to help them set up their own estate plan. Your Mother Also consider that your own mother may need support from your plan as she ages. Prepare for the possibility of long-term medical care, establishing options to cover those expenses down the road. You will want to make yourself or another trusted loved one their power of attorney and create an advance medical directive that spells out what should happen if she becomes ill or hospitalized. You can also create a letter of instruction, a nonlegal document that explains your parents’ wishes.
Motherhood is one of the most beautiful roles we can have in life, and it comes with a busy to-do list. One of the most important tasks of all for moms is ensuring their estate plan also protects and nurtures their family. In honor of Mother’s Day this month, let’s look beyond the flowers and brunch and explore how to safeguard your loved ones at every stage of life!
Young Children For young moms who may have just had their first child or are still caring for a minor, one of the most critical elements to include in your plan is who will be the guardian of your child if something happens to you. Choose someone you know will have their best interests at heart, is responsible, and will pass on the values that matter to you. Both parents should designate a guardian. Make sure to select a trustee as well who can diligently manage money in a trust for your child, as minors can’t inherit any assets on their own.
Compassion and Clarity in Every Case Meet Marin Winter At The Manely Firm, our work is about people, and our team often helps clients during some of their most emotional experiences. Associate Attorney Marin Winter brings compassion and clarity to the often complicated world of family law. actually knew what I was doing, as opposed to other firms that just throw you into the deep end,” she said.
As an associate attorney, she’s responsible for drafting motions, trial preparation, and ensuring everything is ready to go when a case is presented before a judge. She works diligently to ensure appropriate evidence and sound legal arguments support the client’s goals. Since her time here, she’s learned about the many gray areas in family law cases, and that there’s not always a clear-cut winner. For Marin, the greatest reward of this work is seeing the difference one can make in the lives of people going through challenging times. “In family law, you are directly affecting their life, and I like that I can actually see how my work actually matters in the long run.” Outside of work, Marin enjoys spending time with her three adopted cats — Hippo, Giraffe, and Salem — and likes to take weekend trips back to Tennessee.
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “There are a lot of emotions involved, but most of the clients, at the end of the day, are very grateful for you.” Marin has had a lifelong interest in law since middle school. Though she briefly considered going into the medical field, once she began taking biology classes, she discovered she didn’t have a passion for it. Switching to politics, she quickly discovered a love for the subject and started her journey to law school. Once she graduated, she knew she wanted to be in family law and began looking for a firm where she could grow her skills and get meaningful hands-on experience. She knew she had found where she belonged when she joined us in October.
“I knew I needed to go to a firm that was actually going to take the time to train me and make sure I
Marin loves the firm’s positive environment and team bond, and we are so proud to watch her continue to grow.
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