Estate Planning

Recently, my husband and I finally had our meeting with Darlynn Morgan, of Morgan Law Group, our focus: setting up our Kids Protection Plan.

I can’t wait to have a catch-all plan in place for the not so pleasant to think about “God forbid what if something happened to us” scenario.

I say finally because it is something we’ve had on our to-do list for a very long time. And actually, we had initially scheduled the meeting for January, but had to reschedule with Darlynn, because just days before my Mom tripped and broke her knee cap, and her emergency surgery was scheduled for that day.  My poor Momma.

Just a reminder that sometimes we get thrown curveballs we can’t plan for…

I know Darlynn, and what a nice woman she is, but I must admit, walking from my car to her office, the importance of what we were meeting to do had left me slightly anxious.Upon entering Darlynn’s office, I was greeted by her super friendly staff and the serene decor was instantly comforting.

To start the meeting Darlynn briefly shared her heart-wrenching story of having lost her husband at a young age. It was her experience working with a traditional law firm that was hard to get on the phone during an extremely difficult time that lead her to pursue Family Estate Planning Law.

She knew she could do a better job taking care of families, and built her firm based upon this premise.

Next, Darlynn walked us through how they like to do things differently, and quickly outlined their Kids Protection Plan.

Their plan makes sure that children are covered by naming short term guardians (who live within 20 mins of your home, who your children are very comfortable with) and long term guardians (taking care to name the specific individual in case of a future divorce).

The plan includes specific instructions for the babysitter if she were to get the horrible call that something had happened to you.  It also includes forms to give to your chosen short term guardians so they could step in and show the police, ensuring there is no confusion and your children wouldn’t end up in Child Protective Services.

Next Darlynn bridged the topic my husband had been waiting for: the fees. Being completely honest, before we left for the meeting, my husband said: “Susanne, I know you know Darlynn, but if it’s too expensive we’ll have to say no.”

What we really liked is she offers her services on a flat rate.  She doesn’t want her families to feel discouraged from calling her with a question by high hourly fees.

After going over everything with us, she offered us time to discuss our decision alone, and if we wanted to get started we could get our plan in motion today.

We were ready.

Darlynn’s calm and sweet nature with these difficult decisions put us at ease.  The plan is so organized she swiftly moved through the important topics and we answered what we could right there.

There were a few questions we needed more time with, which we took home as homework.

Before leaving we set up a signing date for early April.

What I really have loved about this whole experience is I honestly feel like I have someone in my corner.  And my husband really loves knowing that if something happened to him, I would have someone I trust and feel comfortable with to be there to help me work through that difficult time.

You can meet Darlynn and learn more at these three upcoming free workshops for parents. Please RSVP here; space is limited.

Kids Protection Planning Workshop, Legal Planning for Busy Parents

“9 Easy Steps To Make Sure Your Kids Are Protected No Matter What!”

April 13 at 2:00pm

Granola Babies

3315 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa

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April 20 at 1:00pm

My Gym

2040 Quail St, Newport Beach

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April 25 at 6:00pm

Xpecting Boutique

369 E.17th Street #20, Costa Mesa

www.kidsprotectionworkshop.com

[Disclosure: Morgan Law Group is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor]

It’s the New Year and on the TOP of my to-do list is getting our Family’s Estate Planning and Living Trust set up.  It’s time!  We have been meaning to do this for years now, our girls are six and four and God forbid anything were to ever happen to my husband and I, we want to be sure they are provided for and protected.

I have met Darlynn Morgan of Morgan Law Group several times, actually I seem to bump into her everywhere  I go (last month it was the Santa Train with her adorable family).  I know her to be very sweet and genuine, and I trust that she will have my family’s best interests at heart when she helps us with our Estate Planning and Living Trust.

So last month Mike and I listened in on Darlynn’s very informative teleseminar = call in from home in your PJ’s teleseminar (LOVE!)

It started with Darlynn sharing her heart wrenching story of how she lost her husband in his 30s.  After living through such a crazy hard time in her life, she decided to dedicate her life’s work to making sure others who face such devastating circumstances are prepared and have guidance.

There were several topics touched upon, most of them I had never even thought of, such as the importance of naming short term guardians who live within 20 minutes of your home to be sure in the case of an emergency when a babysitter is watching your kids, they don’t end up in Child Protective Services.

I also learned when naming your Long Term Guardians it is important to name the specific individual.  What if you name a couple and they were to get a divorce?  You want to be sure you are specific so your children are raised by the person you intend.

Sometimes the person you would never want to raise your children will look better on paper to a judge than your first choice.

The teleseminar touched on many other important financial points such how to avoid probate and minimize estate taxes to be sure your children are left with as much of your wealth as possible.

Such heavy, difficult topics are hard to face, but we have set up our appointment to meet with Darlynn at the end of the month and I already feel lighter because we are on our way to having our family’s affairs in order.  And I love that we are working with someone who really cares about my family’s well being.

If you would like to start off the New Year checking this off your to-do list as well you can meet Darlynn this month at her in-person FREE workshop:

January 26th at 2:00pm

Granola Babies

3315 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Or she has another upcoming FREE teleseminar so you can learn more from the comfort of your own home:

January 29th at 8:00pm
Call in from home 

Register now for an upcoming event with Darlynn at

www.kidsprotectionworkshop.com

I have written about this topic for years now because I feel passionate about sharing information on what parents need to do to make sure their kids would be taken care of if the worst were to happen to them.

It’s an awful thought, but better to get it done so you can move on with your life  with peace of mind.  If you haven’t already done this for your family yet, I hope now is the time.

Here is a guest post Darlynn Morgan from Morgan Law Group in Newport Beach wrote about this topic. Darlynn holds free workshops to educate parents on the steps to take to get your legal stuff in order, how to legally name guardians for your kids, etc.

There are two local OC workshops coming up at the end of the month to learn more. Details at the end of the post. Here is what Darlynn had to share about what she speaks on…

Today I’m going to share the secret to FINALLY getting your financial house in order, and I’m going to tell you up front that it has nothing to do with budgets, selling everything on Ebay or working longer hours! This is information you’ve probably never heard before from your financial advisor or CPA, but it’s going to shift your thinking and give you incredible peace of mind.

Before I get into it, if you’re a parent with minor kids at home, the very first thing you should do is visit www.kidsprotectionworkshop.com and register for one of our FREE fall Kids Protection Workshops happening on Saturday, September 29th, 2012.

We’re hosting one at Xpecting at 9:00 am and one at Granola Babies at 2 pm.  These workshops are fast, fun and will teach you everything you need to know about naming legal guardians for your minor kids, leaving a legacy for your loved ones and protecting your family’s wealth if the unthinkable happens.  I’ll touch on why this is so important in just a minute.

But in the meantime…

You’re young and smart —and working hard to build a solid financial foundation for the benefit of your family.  Financial freedom is starting to feel within reach and the future looks promising.

Or is it….?

The “typical” definition of financial freedom means no debt, 6 months savings in the bank, a paid off house and saving towards retirement so you can stop working. The pop culture “teachers” of personal finance tell us that this is when you’ll experience financial freedom …. and so we spend our lives working towards those goals.

But what if we look at it in a different way….

Because maybe you’re just starting out, and have lots of student loan debt, or bought a house that is now upside down. Or maybe you’re just starting a family and are overwhelmed by the reality of the costs of those little mouths to feed. Maybe you’ve even lost your job or your biggest client and you’re wondering where the money is going to come from.

Or, maybe you’ve got millions in the bank, but you’re afraid because you’ve just seen your accounts or your house lose a chunk of their value. Isn’t it funny to realize that sometimes financial freedom has nothing to do at all with the amount of money you have in the bank?

So how can you experience this financial freedom if you don’t have a big savings account, or you have loads of debt, or you’ve not saved enough for retirement, you don’t know how you’re going to pay for college, or if you feel fearful when you think about your financial situation? (Even though by the standards of most of the rest of the world you have plenty.) 

The first step is to get your financial house in order. Do you know with absolute and total certainty what would happen to all your stuff, your business, your kids ….if something happened to you? Or if something happened to your spouse? Do you have a plan in place to make sure that at the end of your life (whenever that may be) you leave the world a better place? That you improve the lot of your family not just financially but emotionally and that you don’t leave behind a big mess?

Now a lot of people think “oh that’s too scary to think about” but it’s not. It’s actually very empowering. Because right now, everything is just fine and you have a clear head and you can start to think about why are you here. How will you leave the world a better place?

You start by knowing that your financial house is in order and that your family, the people who love you and who you love are going to have an easy time of it when you’re gone.

So that is your first step to financial freedom! It’s not about 6 months of savings and getting out of debt and paying off your house, although all those things are great…. but you could do all of those things and still not experience the freedom you’re looking for.

If you’re always waiting to experience freedom until you “arrive” you’ll never get there.

Here’s the good news:

If you don’t have an action plan, then now is the time… you can learn how to create one by joining me for one of our upcoming Fall Kids Protection Workshops. 

These workshops are fast, fun and offer critical information in a way that’s easy to understand, empowering and broken down into action steps that you can implement right away.   Plus they are FREE to attend and filled with other young families…just like yours!

I know you’ll find it to be an hour well-spent and that you’ll leave with incredible peace of mind about your future.  Here is just a taste of what you’ll learn:

The 9 simple steps you can take immediately to ensure your children are cared for by the people you want, according to your values, should something happen to you.

~ The 9 simple steps you can take immediately to ensure your children are cared for by the people you want, according to your values, should something happen to you.

~ How to help your family by making sure your assets are passed down to the people you want—without interference from courts, creditors, relatives or the IRS.

~ The 6 common mistakes parents make when naming guardians for their young children…. And how to avoid them.

~ How to protect the assets you’ve worked so hard to acquire and how to make sure they are passed down to your children in a way that’s safe, secure and free from the financial dangers of divorce or bankruptcy.

~ Common mistakes parents make that may allow the police the to take their minor children out of the house and into the hands of foster care …even with family members ready and willing to help….if you were temporarily or permanently injured in an accident.

~ How to ensure your money is immediately and privately available to your chosen guardians so your children will have everything they’d need and would be prepared for a life without you in case something happened to you.

~ How to make smart financial choices about things like saving for college, keeping your money safe, and buying life insurance

After attending this workshop, you’ll know without a shadow of a doubt that your legal and financial house is in order—and that you have the tools and resources necessary to keep it that way!  You’ll also confirm that you are making smart financial choices about things like saving for college, keeping your money safe and buying life insurance.

So don’t wait to register for one of our upcoming Fall Kids Protection Seminars at 2 great locations in the OC (Granola Babies and Xpecting!).  Spaces are limited, so reserve your seat now for yourself or a friend at no-charge by visiting www.kidsprotectionworkshop.com !

Darlynn Morgan is an estate planning lawyer at Morgan Law Group, a unique law firm that she created to truly make a difference in the lives of her clients. She’s really good at making it easy for your family to talk about and plan for tough subjects like money, death and taxes. 

There are still a few spots open for this Saturday’s free workshop put on by Darlynn Morgan of Morgan Law Group so I wanted to let you know so you can sign up and attend!

It is free, you can bring your kids, and most importantly, you will learn more about how to get your legal stuff in order to make sure your kids would be taken care of if something were to happen to you. Darlynn is a fellow OC mommy, a total sweetheart (not pushy!) and has a passion for educating parents on what you have to do to protect your kids.

Saturday, March 17th, 2012 – 9am
Xpecting Maternity
369 E. 17th Street, #20
Costa Mesa, CA 92672

Click HERE to register online, go to the right column and enter your info.  And as a bonus, every person who registers is also entered to win a $50 gift certificate to an OC mommy/family location.

This is a topic I am very passionate about, as we didn’t go through the process of naming legal guardians and doing a trust until my oldest daughter was 3. When we finally did it and I was educated on what can happen to your children and assets if something were (God forbid) to happen to you, it scared the daylights out of me that we didn’t do it sooner. Once everything was in order, I had tremendous peace of mind knowing we got everything taken care of. I highly recommend attending this workshop and learning more…

[Disclosure: Morgan Law Group is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor. ]

Darlynn Morgan is a fellow OC mommy and family trust attorney with a passion for helping families protect those they love if the unthinkable should happen to them. Not a fun topic, I know. But trust me, getting everything in order the right way will bring you tremendous peace of mind. 

She wrote a great post today on three easy steps to get started and is hosting several free seminars coming up in February and March where you can learn more. Details and dates below!

The Busy Mom’s Guide for Getting Your Legal and Financial House in Order in 2012

by Darlynn Morgan of Morgan Law Group

You want the best for your kids, and as a mama you already know that you need to have some type of financial strategy to make this happen over the long-term.

After all, there’s college to plan for, family wealth to think about and choosing legal guardians who could raise your minor kids if something happens to you…..just in case.

For most parents, taking steps to get your legal and financial house in order can feel daunting.  I hear from parents all the time who don’t know where to start, confused about who they should talk to and flat-out overwhelmed by all the decisions that need to be made.

I get it, and that’s why my goal this year is to help parents simplify the process of getting their “ducks in a row,” while also helping them make the very best decisions for their loved ones.

If you’re ready to start playing your financial A-game in 2012, here are my top three recommendations of where to start:

1. Utilize tax time -   Tax season is a great time to get a handle on your estate.  Your financial documents are handy, semi-organized and hopefully up-to-date.  You’ll find that getting your affairs in order is much easier, both mentally and logistically, when everything is right in front of you already. Some specific information to keep in mind would be an estimate of your net-worth, assets you own, liabilities, and the amount of insurance policies or retirement accounts you may have.

2. Start with the facts - I’m a big believer in being an “educated consumer,” and I think it’s important to do your own homework before meeting with an advisor of any kind. To help you with this, I’ve created a Kids Protection Planning Kit that you can download here absolutely FREE.  It walks you through the next steps, how to avoid common mistakes parents make and more.  It’s a great resource for any parent with minor kids at home.

3. Don’t Go At It Alone -  When it comes to the protection and long-term security of your children, never go at it alone with DIY will kits or estate planning forms or software. I’ve worked with many parents who unknowingly disinherited future children or left all of their money outright to their kids at the ripe age of 18, thanks to the hard-to-read fine print. Remember, your family is unique, and any type of document that tries to cover your kids with “one size, fits all” language will probably backfire in some way.  At the very least, talk to an attorney before you sign.  There’s a certificate for you to do it absolutely free in my Kids Protection Planning Kit.

The most important thing is that you take action this year. Start somewhere.  If you’re not sure of the next best step to take, download the Kids Protection Kit so you can get empowered and be informed. Remember, the greatest gift you can give your family is the peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of, and these 3 steps will definitely help you get started in the right direction!