Kids Protection Planning

Did you know that 69% of parents have not yet named guardians for their kids?

And of the 31% who have, most have made one of 6 common mistakes? Click this link to review the 6 common mistakes most parents (and their lawyers!) make when naming legal guardians and then schedule a Life & Legacy Planning Session with us today, so we can fix those mistakes with you.

Having a Will Alone Simply Does Not Ensure the Care of Your Kids If the Unthinkable Happens to You!
If you are a parent of minor children (or those with special needs) who are counting on you, your estate plan must begin with ensuring your children would always be taken care of by the people you want, in the way you want, no matter what happens.

At the Law Offices of Sotera L. Anderson, one of our areas of greatest expertise is in planning for the well-being and care of the children you love. This is where Sotera’s passion for estate planning lives.

Without advance legal planning for the care of your children, if the unthinkable happens to you, here’s what could happen:

  • Your children could be placed into the care of strangers while the authorities figure out what to do (yes, even if you have a will in place and even if you have a living trust) and, yes, it would very likely only be temporary, but trust us, you never want your children in the arms of strangers.  Not even for a minute.
  • Your children could be put into the custody and care of someone you would never want, like that one family member who has good intentions, but you’d never want raising your kids.
  • A judge who doesn’t know you or your family will decide who will raise your kids, even if it’s the last person you would ever want;
  • Your family could get into a long, drawn out custody fight or there could be a challenge to the guardians you have designated;
  • Up to 5% of the value of your assets could be lost to court costs and other unnecessary fees through the probate process, a court process that can tie up your assets for years and deprive your kids of the resources they need to live comfortably, which can totally be avoided with advance legal planning;
  • When your kids turn 18, they get a check for whatever assets are left;
  • Unscrupulous people out there who make it their business to look at the public records to find out when 18-year olds are getting that inheritance check
  • The vast majority of estate planning attorneys do not address these issues, and do not plan from a parent’s perspective.

Yes, these things scare us too.

That’s why we offer a Kids Protection Plan with every estate plan we do for families with young children.

What is a Kids Protection Plan®?

A Kids Protection Plan® is a set of instructions, legal documents and even an ID card for your wallet, which you need to have if you have kids at home who count on you for their well-being and care.

If you are in an accident, your Kids Protection Plan® will make sure your children are never taken into the custody of Child Protective Services, strangers or the care of anyone you wouldn’t want because the authorities don’t have clear instructions from you.  And your Kids Protection Plan® will ensure your children are raised by people you choose, not someone chosen by a Judge who doesn’t know you.

To get started with your Kids Protection Plan®, contact us.

Incapacity Planning

When people think of estate planning, they think of what happens after they’ve passed.  But, proper estate planning includes having a plan for when you are alive as well.

Oftentimes, when we think of planning for incapacity, we think this is more of a concern for seniors when, in reality, anyone at any age can sustain an injury or illness that requires planning to protect their assets and to take care of them.

The future is uncertain for people of all ages and a serious accident or sudden illness can strike at any time.  Who will be your voice to ensure your desires for your own healthcare are carried out? Who will make health care decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself?  Who do you want to have access to your medical records and doctors to know what is happening with your care? Who will care for your kids while you cannot? Who will take care of your finances while you cannot?

Without a plan in place to care for you in the event of an illness, injury, or incapacity, your loved ones will be left scrambling to ensure your needs are met.  The court will intervene to make decisions about your health care needs, caring for your children, and handling your finances…decisions you may not agree with.

We will work with you to create a plan that protects you, your assets, and your loved ones so your mind will be at ease.

To get started with your Incapacity Planning schedule a Life & Legacy Planning Session today.

Legacy Planning

Legacy planning at Law Offices of Sotera L. Anderson is not one size fits all. We believe in personalized service for each and every client. Our approach is educational and proactive – we educate you based on the specifics of your family situation, your assets, and your individual needs, wants, desires and values and then guide you to tell us what you want most, so we can create the plan (and the fee for that plan) that aligns with your objectives for your family and your assets.

We offer 3 levels of planning to suit your varying needs. From starter plans primarily for families with young children and little in the way of financial wealth to more robust plans for well-established families concerned with matters of asset protection, preservation and increased growth, we’ve got you covered.

Our process begins with a Life & Legacy Planning Session. Before the Session you will complete homework that will have you feeling more organized and put together than you have in a long time. Maybe ever.

During the Session, we will look at what would happen to all of what you have and everyone you love, if anything were to happen to you.

Then, we’ll determine a plan together to make sure everything goes the way you want it to so you are always in control. And so your family always knows just how much you care.

Should we decide there are things we can do to take care of your family better than they are taken care of now, we will present you with planning options that allow you to decide on your fee and the level of service that is right for you and your family.

Generally, our fees range from $2,000 (for a married couple with kids who are not focused on keeping the family out of court) to $7,000 (for a more extensive plan that provides significant asset protection after death, and a process to prevent inadvertent loss of assets to the State’s Unclaimed Property Division or the court process).

We’ve priced our planning for you at the intersection of affordability and effectiveness. When we meet for your Life & Legacy Planning Session, we will review the 3 planning levels with you, and you will choose your own fee based on your budget and the planning options that are most important to you and your family.

There truly is no one size fits all choice. We have created a process, though, to educate you quickly and effectively so that you can make empowered, informed choices about what you want for the people you love, so that you aren’t simply choosing the cheapest option because you don’t have any other basis for making your decisions. Schedule your Life & Legacy Planning Session today

Be Legendary

Leaving a Real Legacy – Who You Are & What’s Important to You

How We Guide You to Leave a Legacy That’s About Much More Than Just Your Money

After you are gone, your loved ones will miss you deeply. They will long for your words of counsel and concern. Hearing your voice again would be a tremendous gift.

Through our unique legacy process, you can give your loved ones the most precious gift – a lasting expression of your love. What could be more valuable?

At the Law Offices of Sotera L. Anderson we believe estate planning is not just about transferring your financial assets and personal belongings. It’s also about capturing and transferring your valuable intangible gifts: who you are and what’s important to you – your values, insights, stories and experience.

Let Me Tell You a Story

Several years ago, my friend’s dad died.  He had left my friend a voicemail message on her cell phone and for years after he died, my friend would listen to it when she missed him. Until the very bad day when it was accidently deleted.

My friend wished she still had that voicemail message. Or even better, that she had a recording of her dad telling her what she loved about her, what his hopes for her were, what life lessons were most important to him, what values he most wanted for her, or even just saying her nickname that he had always called her.

You Could Make a Recording, But Who Has Time?

I used to tell my clients to record a message for their loved ones and put it in a safe place or simply write notes to their children letting them know how they felt about them.  But so few people ever actually did it. We just get so caught up with the day to day of our lives that focusing in on leaving a legacy seems to take a back seat.

I realized I’d have to build this into our planning process and not make it just another thing you’ll get done someday. That’s why at Law Offices of Sotera L. Anderson we make it part of our planning for every client to help you capture and pass on more than just your money: your intellectual, spiritual and human assets, who you are and what’s important to you.

We Help You Capture These Precious Moments

We realized we’d have to build this into our planning process and not make it just another thing you’ll get done someday. That’s why at the Law Offices of Sotera L. Anderson we make it part of our planning for every client to help you capture and pass on more than just your money: your intellectual, spiritual, and human assets, who are and what’s important to you.

For more information about how we help you pass on your most valuable assets – your values, insights, stories and experience – to your loved ones, or about our resources for leaving your family with a true legacy, please Schedule your Life & Legacy Planning Session today.

What Would It Be Worth?

Can you picture someone who’s passed away, someone you love and miss deeply? Can you recall a conversation you had with them? Can you remember the sound of their voice and what they told you? What if you could hear their voice again?

What if they could speak to you—heart to heart—and share their wisdom and advice? What would it be worth to you to hear their words one more time?

What is it worth to you to know that they’ll always know exactly how much you love them?  It’s worth a lot to us and we are honored to be able to provide you and your family with this gift.