A woman came to my office to get a divorce. As we discussed her situation she shared with me that she was listed on a bank account with her grandmother in an attempt to "avoid probate" should something happen to Mawmaw. A big issue came up because her soon-to-be ex-husband was demanding his fair share of the money in the account she shared with Mawmaw, claiming it to be "community funds" . Whether he was right or wrong, money would have to be spent defending if and why she should keep her money. The woman went on to say how devastating this was to her grandmother because Mawmaw never thought she'd have to split the little money she had with her granddaughters soon-to-be-ex-husband.
"Estate planning is your asset saving, cost effective friend."
That's when I realized this woman if only this woman had met with me 6 months sooner, I could have helped her and Mawmaw truly protect their assets, avoid probate, and keep the money out of the soon-to-be ex-husband's hands without a fight. By the end of the consultation we of course had a plan to get her divorced and to keep her money, but it came with a price tag that was much higher than if she had done some estate planning with me just 6 months sooner. A word to the wise, estate planning is your asset saving, cost effective friend. It is a great way to ensure Mawmaw keeps her own money!