It's an interesting experience to have someone call to ask for help in probating the estate of someone who you had drafted their will. You prove to yourself the skills and abilities you claim, because the client sees first-hand how, in the will drafted, you made provisions that spared them heartaches and costs (e.g. eliminating the need of a license to sell real estate). You also receive appreciation from the heirs and proposed personal representative/executor because of the simplicity of the procedure due to how the will was set up. Now you shepherd the family through the probate process - simply and quickly because preparations were made. It's not like the cluster mess you dealt with that afternoon, where an ex-wife didn't comply with a divorce decree, and now people will have to sign deeds because 3 years had passed, and you're restricted to using a late formal probate proceeding that eliminates any flexibility in processing the matter; and you've got disagreement(s) among the heirs, complicating things. This is a textbook case of where the evangelistic message of the Office is proven true - Be Prepared. If there be any love in the family, you owe it to your descendants to not leave a mess to clean up. PS unfortunately, when that happens, some families just stick their head in the sand and don't do ANYTHING, leaving the door open to further fiascos, the tax people chasing you and title examiners saying there's so many problems with the title to the property in question the title insurance premium will be hefty. Those who get this post sent to them; please take this in and digest it.
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