As a boutique law firm specializing in Business Law, Real Estate Law, and Estates & Trusts, we’ve had the privilege of working with countless professionals who excel in their respective fields. CPAs, engineers, physicians, and other high-achieving individuals often approach estate planning with the same meticulous, detail-oriented mindset that has made them successful in their careers.

And that’s exactly where the paradox begins.

It’s Not About You – It’s About Those You Leave Behind

Recently, I had a conversation with a client—a CPA with significant experience handling financial matters, including probate. His question was straightforward: “I’m very detailed, very meticulous. I’ve used software before to do this for my family. Do I really need this level of care?”

My answer was equally straightforward: “The exact reason you’ve already given me is why you need that level of care.”

Here’s why: The planning we do isn’t for you. It’s for the people who will be implementing your wishes when you’re no longer able to do so yourself.

You—the high-achieving, efficient person who understands the details—won’t be the one executing this plan. Your spouse, your children, or another designated person will be navigating a complex legal and financial landscape during what will likely be one of the most difficult emotional periods of their lives.

The Unfunded Trust Problem

Over my 17 years of practice, I’ve seen a recurring scenario that perfectly illustrates this point. A family comes to us with a beautifully crafted trust document in a binder—created by another attorney or even using high-quality DIY software. They need help with probate because their loved one has passed away.

The problem? The trust was never funded. The assets were never properly transferred. The very thing the trust was designed to avoid—probate—becomes inevitable. The family faces exactly the situation their loved one tried to prevent.

Why does this happen? Because most people, even highly intelligent and capable professionals, “don’t know what they don’t know” about maintaining and implementing an estate plan.

Beyond the Documents: Why Our Approach Is Different

Most estate planning attorneys operate on a transactional basis. You pay a fee, they create documents, you get a binder, and then you’re on your own. That’s not how we work.

We’ve developed a comprehensive three-phase approach:

1. Creation Phase: We draft personalized documents tailored to your specific situation, including trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and HIPAA authorizations.
2. Implementation Phase: We help you fund your trust by transferring assets, changing beneficiary designations, and documenting everything in our secure vault system.
3. Maintenance Phase: We establish an ongoing relationship through our Client Care Program, meeting annually to review your plan, make necessary updates, and ensure everything remains properly funded.

This approach isn’t for everyone. But for high-achieving professionals who want to ensure their estate plans actually work when needed, it provides something invaluable: peace of mind through accountability and expertise.

The Value of Professional Guidance

Consider this analogy: Estate planning is like getting a root canal, while our annual meetings are like getting your teeth cleaned. The initial work might be more intensive, but the maintenance ensures long-term success.

Some specific benefits our professional guidance provides:

• Expert trustee selection: We help you decide who should manage assets and who should raise children (often not the same person).
• Age-appropriate distributions: Most of our clients choose to delay full distribution until children reach 30-35 years of age, with provisions for education, health, and reasonable support in the meantime.
• Detailed instructions: We help you create letters of wishes that express your values and expectations, providing guidance without imposing inflexible rules.
• Remarriage protection: We structure trusts to protect assets for your children if a surviving spouse remarries.
• Professional record-keeping: We maintain documentation of all trust assets and provide annual accountings.

Protection That Transcends Your Skills

As one client—a successful professional who initially questioned the need for our services—noted after completing our process: “It’s not just a document; it’s creating a support system and network to implement the plan.”

That’s exactly right. No matter how capable you are at managing your affairs now, estate planning is about creating systems that function without you. It’s about protecting your family when your considerable skills are no longer available to them.

Our approach isn’t just about legal documents—it’s about creating a relationship that ensures your plan works as intended when it matters most. For high-achieving professionals who are accustomed to handling complex matters themselves, this might feel uncomfortable at first. But ultimately, it provides something beyond what any DIY solution can offer: the certainty that the people you love will be taken care of according to your wishes.

If you’re ready to discuss how our firm can help protect what matters most to you, contact us today at (210) 646-9400 or visit smcesq.com.

The Law Offices of Shann M. Chaudhry, ESQ. is a boutique law firm with offices in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, Texas, specializing in Business Law, Real Estate Law, and Estates & Trusts.