Believe me, I get it! Putting this off is easy to do. As parents, we know the importance of estate planning, but life is so busy, that this task can easily be put at the bottom of the “To Do List,” year after year. As a mom for six years now, AND someone who has worked in the legal field, it was embarrassing for me to admit that we still didn’t have these important documents in place.
My Fears
Through my work in the legal field, I witnessed sad story after sad story about families who lost loved ones. They were left to grieve AND at a loss as to how to proceed because no planning was in place. Things really got personal though after my father-in-law passed away and then two cousins at the young age of 30, leaving behind children and spouses. Those losses were devastating, and were really unfortunate reminders as to the importance of estate family, for my husband and for my children. They deserve it. I know it takes time and money, two things that are difficult to have extra of when raising little kids, but the investment is worth it, and our kids deserve it.
Again, if you are reading this and don’t have your planning in place, please DO NOT feel bad, guilty or overwhelmed. It is for all these reasons, why I am sharing my story, experience, and a very special offer with all of you.
If Brian and I don’t accomplish anything else in 2019, we have made this a productive year. I am so happy to say we have our Wills, Powers of Attorneys, and Healthcare Directives in order! A couple months back I met Rachel Schromen, attorney and owner of Schromen Law, LLC, through networking. She took the time to have a really important conversation with me and truly cared about the reasons why we hadn’t completed this task. She answered my questions, and then we got to work.
I want to introduce you all to this amazing woman, explain why we decided to work with her, and a little on the experience itself.
Why Rachel Schromen?
Rachel grew up in Iowa and her parents were business owners. She was really emeshed in learning how to run a business/having that entrepreneurial mindset from early on. Before deciding to go law school she was a social work major, which really speaks to her core desire to help others and give back. What drew her to estate planning is the fact it is largely a preventative area of law – in fact, most of her practice is transactional, meaning she puts documents together with the goal of preventing litigation, court, etc.
"Why I love the work I do is that it provides my clients, and their families with peace of mind, security and a plan for the future."
-Rachel Schromen
When parents work with Rachel for estate planning, they are really planning for the aftermath of a traumatic life event – incapacity of spouse, death, etc. Those left to “deal” with the trauma are also the ones putting the pieces together. Having an estate plan in place not only helps ensure the individual’s wishes are followed, but it makes the process relatively easier for the family members and loved ones who are in the role of doing that work.
Rachel is a giver and spends a lot of her time volunteering and providing pro bono services. She co-founded a legal nonprofit, Domestic Abuse Legal Advocacy Center, PSC, which through volunteer attorneys provides pro bono legal services directly to women in shelters. They currently have around 40 volunteer attorneys doing this work. She also volunteers with Cancer Legal Line (pro bono estate planning for terminal cancer patients), Wills for Heroes (pro bono planning for first responders) and MACV (pro bono planning for veterans at the VA hospital).
Clearly you can see that Rachel has a huge heart and truly cares about helping families prepare for if the unthinkable happens. She is young, eager and determined. She is making a big difference, but in the line of work that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It’s one of those things that only gets discussed when things aren’t set up. My hope is we don’t have to rely on these documents until we are much, much older and I like the fact that Rachel will be in practice for years and years to come that she will be available when my family may need her.
For all of these reasons and more, is why we decided to work with Rachel.
Our Experience with Rachel
First of all, I loved that Rachel offered a free consultation! We were able to meet her, ask questions, and figure out if working with her firm was a good fit! These documents and the conversations are intimate and important, so it was important to my husband and I that we could trust and confide in the attorney we were going to hire. We felt an instant connection with Rachel and were extremely at ease!
Rachel went through a list of questions regarding our family dynamics, wishes and concerns. Prior to the meeting, she also provided a form to complete which helped us feel relaxed and allowed my husband and I to take the time to speak and think through some scenarios and make important decisions. You don’t have to have an exact, black and white plan. But this process will spark some deep consideration and conversations that are so important. There is nothing worse than talking to a spouse who just doesn’t know what their significant other would want to do in a time of need. No, they aren’t FUN conversations, but they are extremely important. I now know that if something terrible were to happen to Brian, I would be respecting HIS wishes, not mine.
After this process and just a couple emails back and forth (seriously it has been pretty easy and straight-forward), the documents were drafted. Rachel then emailed us copies of the documents to review.
Another amazing service she offers is setting up the witnesses when it’s time to sign. We coordinated schedules, selected a date and time, and then it was all set up for us. Signing took no time at all and then we were done! Just like that! A project that has been weighing on me since McKenzie was born, is finally DONE. I can rest easy and just enjoy life now, knowing that if heaven forbid something happened, my estates and family would be set up and care is planned.
Please don’t be embarrassed if you haven’t been able to get these documents in order. Rather, join us for an amazing event and let us help you get this done.
Upcoming Event
Planning for the future should be easy and accessible. Join us on Thursday night, August 15th from 6-9, at Schromen Law, LLC, for Estate Planning 101 and begin to plan for the future for your family. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We will discuss how to plan a will and what happens if a will is not in place. Estate Planning doesn’t have to be complex and overwhelming, attend this seminar for an introduction to the process and avoid the hourly fees of speaking with a personal attorney.
Rachel has been so kind to offer this seminar for FREE to our community.
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And because both Rachel and the How 2 Mom team want to really help you get this project done, there will be an EXCLUSIVE PROMO only offered to those who attend!
RSVP below NOW to secure a seat!
