Linda lost her husband unexpectedly at 63. When she called me, she was terrified.
She said, “Dave… I can’t even get into his bank account.”
Everything — the house, the vehicles, the accounts — was in his name.
No will.
No trust.
No beneficiaries.
She felt helpless.
I explained that the law would force her into probate:
- She couldn’t sell the home
- She couldn’t access accounts
- She’d have to hire an attorney
- She’d spend months or years settling simple matters
- Everything would be public
- She could even lose control of certain assets
She whispered, “He never meant to leave me like this.”
THE PLAN WE BUILT
We created a full estate plan so her children would never face the same burden:
- A Revocable Living Trust holding the home, vehicle titles, and accounts
- TOD/POD alignment
- Beneficiary updates
- Healthcare directive and POA
- Personal property memorandums
- Full instructions for distribution to her children
- Avoidance of probate entirely
THE OUTCOME
Now:
- Her assets transfer smoothly to her children
- No probate
- No delays
- No legal battles
Linda said,
“I wish we had done this years ago. But now my children will never go through what I did.”