I was born and raised in New Jersey. I have lots of friends and family there, particularly on the Jersey Shore (as a point of reference, New Jersey does not have beaches, it has a shore). So when Sandy hit, there were a lot of terrible thoughts running through my head. Looking at the storm’s path, it tracked right over my parent’s and my in-law’s homes. Thankfully, there were no injuries, and though the homes were muddied, there is no structural damage. They were lucky, and I am relieved.
On Friday night, I watched the Charity Concert, with Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and other “local” bands. The goal of the concert was to raise funds for the Red Cross and their work to support New Jersey and New York. Jon Stewart was one of the emcees, and he said something that really struck a cord with me. He said that people in New York and New Jersey have always supported victims of other incidents throughout the country, and they never thought something like that could happen to them. But it did.
We all think that same thought, “Bad things happen to that other guy, not to people like me!” Unfortunately, things happen – good and bad – to us all. And, whether you like it or not, It can happen to you.
The important thing is to be prepared before it happens. My brother-in-law had flood insurance on his Manahawkin property. His preparedness alleviates the financial burdens of the clean-up and repair. I met with a client who commented that they were without power for 3 ½ weeks after hurricane Katrina, but because they lived in Mississippi, a hurricane hotbed, they had a power generator, just-in-case. This alleviated a number of problems for them, simply by preparing beforehand.
As an estate planning attorney, I work to help people prepare for bad situations – death, taxes, incapacity, law suits. While I hope that these things don’t happen (or in the case of death, just that it does not happen soon), I want my clients to be prepared if and when these things do arise.
Are you prepared? Take this time to meet with one of our attorneys to make sure that you are prepared. No matter what you may think, it can happen to you.
Contributed by MH Arrowhead and Phoenix Estate Planning Attorney James P. Plitz
Why Choose Morris Hall:
You have a number of options when it comes to estate planning, so why pick Morris Hall? First off, estate planning and asset protection are a very complicated endeavor and you should only trust someone who focuses exclusively on those matters. Also, MH is a proud member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) which provides us additional support, advanced training, tools and information that is not available to others – which means that we can better protect your assets and your loved ones. We are one of only two firms in Arizona that belong to the AAEPA and are the only firm in that has been granted membership. If you have assets and loved ones that you want to protect, you are in good hands with MH. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
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