Kimberly K Miller, Attorney at Law, PLLC

06/08/2026

Most parents think the conversation counts. It doesn't.

An agreement in your head has no legal weight. If something happened tonight, the people you trust most have no automatic right to step in. The decision goes to a court that has never met your family.

A Personal Family Lawyer® attorney changes that. Not with a conversation. With a plan.

Learn more today: www.kkmillerattorney.com

06/07/2026

Did you know? A godparent has no automatic legal authority to care for your children.

And here is something else most parents don't know: even a guardian named in a will must be formally appointed by a court before they can take legal custody. That process takes weeks, sometimes months. A complete plan closes that gap, naming both who will raise your children long-term and who has legal authority to care for them immediately while that process unfolds.

This week's article walks through exactly what a complete plan looks like.

www.kkmillerattorney.com

06/06/2026

The people you love most will step up. The law doesn't care.

Without a legal document, a judge who has never met your children makes the call.

In case you missed it: this week's article is one worth reading before you need it.

www.kkmillerattorney.com

06/05/2026

There's a question most guardianship plans never answer.
What happens in the first 72 hours?

A complete plan addresses both. A plan that only names a long-term guardian leaves a gap. And gaps are where already hard situations get much harder. If you are a parent and you haven't addressed both pieces, that is the conversation I want to have with you.

And that conversation doesn't end at signing. I stay in a relationship with the families I work with, so that when something happens, your family has someone to call who already knows the plan and can help them activate it. That is the part no document, on its own, can do.

Let's talk.

www.kkmillerattorney.com

06/03/2026

Most parents have thought about who would raise their children if something happened to them. Maybe during a long drive. Maybe in a conversation with a partner that reached an agreement in your heads, but never made it onto paper.

Here is what most parents don't realize: that agreement doesn't exist in the eyes of the law. If something happened to you tonight, the decision about who raises your children wouldn't belong to you anymore. It would belong to a court.

And there is a second question almost no one plans for: what happens in the first 72 hours? Who has the legal authority to pick up your children from school if you were hospitalized tonight? Who can authorize emergency care? Even the people who love your children most have no automatic right to step in.

This week's blog is about both questions and what it takes to actually have an answer to each.

You'll want to send this one to every parent you know!

Who Would Raise Your Kids If You Couldn't? (What You Don't Know About the First 72 Hours)

05/31/2026

Did you know that assets with beneficiary designations, such as retirement accounts and life insurance policies, pass directly to the named beneficiary and are not controlled by your Will?

That’s why it’s important to review and update your beneficiary designations regularly. Just as important, your beneficiary designations should work together with the rest of your estate plan.

As your Personal Family Lawyer®, I can help ensure all of your assets and accounts are coordinated to create a plan that protects your family and carries out your wishes the way you intend.

www.kkmillerattorney.com

05/30/2026

When most people think of estate planning, a Will is the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, many people who contact me believe a simple Will is all they need.

While a Will is an important part of an estate plan, relying on a Will alone may not accomplish your goals or provide the protection your loved ones need. In many cases, it can lead to unnecessary costs, delays, and complications.

To learn why a Will may not be enough and what you can do instead, don’t miss this week’s blog. Click the link in the comments to read more.

www.kkmillerattorney.com

05/30/2026

A Will is required by law to go through the court system called probate before any of your assets can be distributed. In fact, a will is only effective within the probate court.

While court oversight can be helpful in some situations, the probate process is long and expensive. For very small estates the process may take about 6 months, but for most estates, the process can take 12 - 18 months or sometimes even more!

To make sure your family has immediate access to your assets and that they aren’t stuck in court for a year or more, it’s essential to have a plan that includes more than just a Will.

www.kkmillerattorney.com