Who gets your property when you die or become disabled? If you fall into a coma, who would decide whether to pull the plug? After you meet your maker, who would get custody of your children? Will your death cause a permanent division in your family? Will your legacy be years of conflict pitting your son against your daughter, both spending your hard-earned money on lawyers?
I wish my grandfather had considered these questions before he died...
My grandfather had fought in World War II, built multiple businesses, accumulated a small fortune, and owned a house. After he died, his children spent three years and nearly $30,000.00 in attorney's fees fighting over remaining business assets.
Before my grandfather's death, his children had gotten along. Now, they no longer view each other as siblings.
And here's the kicker-- MY GRANDFATHER HAD A WILL.
How could this happen?
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My grandfather believed that he had planned well. He went to his local lawyer in the 1980's, a person he had used for many different business matters. She gave him a standard, "simple Will"-- the same will template she had used for hundreds of clients before. Plug in one kid's name here. Put the grandson's name there. Print and collect $800 from the client.
Unfortunately, 30 years later, when my grandfather died, this "simple Will" didn't work when my family needed it to.
I assumed that my grandfather's lawyer had committed malpractice. However, after some research I learned that my grandfather's lawyer was adhering to practice norms. She had done nothing wrong. That's when I realized that traditional estate planning was extremely flawed.
Here are the facts. Connecticut, like most other states, is a "Will Mill" state. It is perfectly acceptable for your estate planning lawyer to recycle documents and sell you the same general Will that he sold to another client. If you ask for a simple Will, a traditional estate planning attorney will happily provide minimal effort, shirk any personalized analysis, collect his fee, and keep the Will Mill spinning.
After you die and your Will fails to work, that same lawyer will happily take your money to represent you for years in Probate Court. Sure, your family might be torn apart, but your lawyer has to pay his kid's tuition...
My family experience Probate Hell after my grandfather's death, and I decided that I needed to take action. No family should be destroyed by conflict and infighting because of a one-size fits all estate plan. After analyzing the shortfalls of traditional estate planning, I realized that I could do better. The Shehu Approach was born.
I've applied these lessons to areas other than estate, legacy, and wealth planning. I routinely represent lenders, buyers, sellers, and businesses in real estate transactions, researching and resolving title defects, escrowing funds, and drafting lending documents.
I'm proud to have closed a real estate deal in every town in Connecticut. I also do not back down from a fight. If necessary, I'll engage in contentious court battles to obtain results for my clients.
I will not be happy until I make YOU happy.
God bless and take care--
Karl D. Shehu, Esq.
