Live Oak Estate Planning

06/23/2026

Join me for an intimate conversation about how to avoid the cost and headache of private and make sure your family knows your wishes. Space is limited! Reserve your spot today.

06/22/2026

Coffee, conversation, and estate planning without the scary legal fog.

Join Live Oak Estate Planning on July 2 at 9:00 AM in Claremont for a free educational event with Sati McLafferty. Learn how wills, trusts, and key estate planning documents help protect your family, your wishes, and your peace of mind.

Seating is limited. Reserve your spot here:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/estate-planning-workshops-events/

06/20/2026

Planning for a child with special needs requires more than naming someone in a will.

In this conversation, I discuss how families can think through long-term care, financial support, government benefits, decision-making, and who will step in when a parent is no longer able to manage everything.

My goal is to help families create plans that provide security without unintentionally causing new financial or legal problems.

Thoughtful planning can make a real difference in protecting your child’s future and giving your family a clear path forward.

Watch the full conversation here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/KXgYMnOTUL4

To learn more about planning with Live Oak Estate Planning, visit:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/

Trusts & Estates Weekly - The WAY to WOW ShowsLawyer Sati McLaffe...

06/18/2026

A Power of Attorney can be valid and still get rejected by a bank.

That usually happens because the bank is trying to protect itself from fraud, liability, or an outdated document. The problem is that families often do not find this out until they are already dealing with a medical emergency or loss of capacity.

Meanwhile, the bills still need to be paid.

At Live Oak Estate Planning, we help families look beyond signed documents. A complete plan includes reviewing how your Power of Attorney will work with your financial institutions, keeping it current, and making sure your loved ones know who to call when something happens.

Because having paperwork is not the same as having a plan that works.

Learn more at:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/

06/14/2026

Your business should not depend on crossed fingers and handshake agreements.

A strong business needs more than good marketing and steady sales. It also needs a solid foundation.

The LIFT framework looks at four areas that help protect what you are building:

Legal
Insurance
Financial
Tax

Weakness in one area can create problems across the entire business. An unclear contract can lead to lost income. The wrong business structure can affect taxes and liability. Missing insurance can turn one unexpected event into a serious financial setback.

At Live Oak Estate Planning, we help business owners think beyond documents and look at how their business, family, and long-term plans work together.

You worked hard to build your business. Make sure the foundation can support it.

Learn more at:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/

06/08/2026

When families are building wealth for the first time, estate planning is not “extra.”

It is protection.

A home, a business, savings, life insurance, personal belongings — these are more than assets. They represent years of work, sacrifice, and care.

Without the right plan in place, those assets can be delayed, lost to court, tied up in conflict, or passed in ways you never intended.

At Live Oak Estate Planning, we help families create plans that protect what they are building and make things easier for the people they love.

Because your legacy deserves more than crossed fingers and a stack of paperwork.

Learn more:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/

06/05/2026

Without proper planning, your family faces months of court proceedings while grieving your loss. Let's create a better plan together!

https://liveoakestateplanning.com/

06/04/2026

What’s the biggest mistake people make with DIY trusts?
They create the documents, but never properly transfer their assets into the trust.

That means the trust may not work the way they expected when their family actually needs it.

A trust is not just about signing paperwork. It also needs to be properly funded so your home, accounts, and other assets are aligned with your plan.

At Live Oak Estate Planning, we help make sure your plan is not only created, but set up to work in real life.

Learn more at liveoakestateplanning.com

06/03/2026

“The document looked fine. The bank said no.”

This happens more often than people realize.

A Power of Attorney may be signed, notarized, and sitting neatly in a folder, but if your bank or financial institution won’t accept it when your family needs it, that “plan” can quickly turn into a stressful problem.

A Power of Attorney that has never been reviewed or registered with your financial institution is a plan that hasn’t been tested yet.

And the worst time to find that out is during a crisis.

Let’s fix that before your family is standing at the bank counter trying to figure it out the hard way.

Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call here:
https://app.lawmatics.com/appointment-calendar/MzQ1MTc=%7CWyIzMTcyMSJd%7CWyIyMDk5OSJd%7CWyJwaG9uZU51bWJlciJd

05/27/2026

Quick reality check: the size of your estate does not determine how complicated things can become when you are gone.

Many people assume estate planning is only for wealthy families. It is not.

Creditors, medical debt, and outstanding loans can all make claims against what you leave behind. If those claims are greater than what you own, your loved ones may inherit nothing.

That can come as a real shock to families who thought they had more protection in place.

The good news is there are ways to protect what you have built and make things easier for the people you love. But those strategies work best when the plan is in place before a problem arises.

At Live Oak Estate Planning, we help families create plans that are thoughtful, practical, and designed to work when they are needed most.

Learn more at:
https://liveoakestateplanning.com/