It is strange but the incidence of people dying goes up, way up, during the holidays!
A combination of factors plays into this statistic. People drive more during the holidays. People drink more. People eat more food than normal, some of it unhealthy. People put off going to their doctors when they have weird symptoms (or they can’t get an appointment!). People are more stressed. In some parts of the country people are shoveling snow!
The reason I bring this up is because many people don’t even have basic estate plans in place. I imagine you encourage your clients to get their plans in place because you understand the cost savings and the efficiency that will kick in if even basic plans are in place. Still, you can’t make people call their lawyer, and some people don’t even know who to call for help with estate planning!
So here is my shameless pitch to you:
Yes, we do estate planning. In fact, “estate planning” is part of the firm’s name. I have been a member of the Bar since 1982 and have been involved in estate planning since then. We are NOT a general-practice firm; we don’t do divorce or immigration or personal injury or bankruptcy or criminal defense. We only work in three areas of the law:
Estate Planning
Elder Law
Probate
While I am on the subject, “probate” is that murky area of the law that people have to deal with when they lose a loved one. Most people know little about it, only that it is something to avoid at all costs! We work extensively in probate, so if you have a family with whom you are working who loses a loved one during the holidays (or anytime for that matter), please encourage them to call us for a free consultation on the process. We have cases as far north as Florence and as far south as Mobile, so chances are we can help them.
And as a reminder, most families don’t want every last cent of their life-savings to be spent on nursing-home care. Elder Law is the area of practice helping families stay in charge of their parent’s care and in charge of their assets. We help people qualify for benefits and protect seniors from fraud. If we can help a client understand their planning options, please encourage them to call. We do not charge a consultation fee to meet with a prospective client!
The standard Bar disclosure is below and I include it since the Bar requires its inclusion. Thanks in advance for any referrals you can share with us!
Happy Thanksgiving!
William G. Nolan
Nolan Elder Law & Estate Planning, LLC
1232 Blue Ridge Blvd.
Hoover, AL 35226
205/390-0101
www.ElderLawAlabama.com