I wasn’t always an estate planning attorney.

I’ve practiced at small, general practice firms doing a little bit of everything.

I’ve worked for the government.

I’ve focused on criminal defense and personal injury.

But I just can’t seem to get away from estate planning. I feel like it’s in my blood.

Here are 5 reasons I chose to become an estate planning attorney.

1. I get to work with people like myself.

I wear a bunch of different hats in my life.

Husband.

Father.

Son.

Uncle.

Business owner.

Each of these hats has a tie to estate planning. I can see myself a little bit in every client that walks through the door.

I understand the importance of getting basic estate planning done because I have a family myself and can empathize with the devastation that would cause.

I understand the importance of succession planning for closely held businesses because I myself own a closely held business. I know first hand how tough life would be on my business and my family if something ever happened to me.

2. My work is actually helpful to people.

In every other area I’ve practiced in, I’ve only dealt in crisis for clients.

Someone just received a DUI.

Someone is having their land taken.

Someone was just injured in a car accident.

What being an estate planning attorney allows me to to do is work aspirationally with people to make their lives and the lives of their families better.

Our mantra is Get Rich and Live Forever for a reason. That’s our focus for our clients.

3. I get to form long lasting bonds with clients.

There is nothing cooler for me than knowing that a large majority of the people that become my clients will stay my clients for their entire lives.

I love the idea of getting to know my clients, seeing them in good times and in bad, and helping them shape their lives for the better.

In a perfect world my client relationships would never end. They’d just continue to flourish and grow generation after generation.

4. I get to collaborate with really smart people.

Whether you know this or not, even your most basic estate plan is going to be surrounded by the advice and input of several professionals.

First, you’ve got your financial planner, because no estate plan is complete without life insurance and disability insurance.

Second, you’ve got your accountant. Just go ahead and get one. You’re going to need them in the future.

I often get to work closely with high caliber individuals in these fields for my clients. And that’s really fun.

5. I get to help people make tough decisions.

At the end of the day an estate planning lawyer’s main job is to give advice, to make sure that the client sees all of the angles, to help the client make the decision that is “right” for them.

Who is going to watch your kid if you die?

Who is going to run your business if you can’t any more?

Do you trust your family to be responsible with the money they stand to inherit?

Are you sure the “fair” way to split up your property is to equally divide it?

These questions and more I get to answer every day as an estate planning attorney.

And I love it.

Cheers,

Christopher Small

P.S. Do you have kids? Have you completed guardianship paperwork? Have you done it correctly? Click here to find out what happens if you don’t do anything: Are you okay with a judge choosing the guardians of your children?

P.P.S. Do you own a business? Do you have a plan so the business, and your family, can survive if something happens to you? If not, click here to learn how simple it is to protect your business and your family from tragedy: 5 Ways to Protect Your Business from Catastrophic Failure.

P.P.S. Do you have no kids and think you don’t need an estate plan? Single and think a will is only for married couples. You couldn’t be more wrong. Click here to learn more: 5 reasons estate planning is a must have even if you don’t have kids.