LayRoots

Asset Protection | Live More Carefree

Colin Ley

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Estate Planning Macklemore Style

What we at LayRoots think is just so great about our jobs is that we get to listen to our clients’  stories and they give us the opportunity to help them pass those stories on to their children, who will exaggerate them and weave them into stories that they pass on to THEIR children, and so on and so forth.
Why do we take the time to do this?  Well, we know how important those stories, and the lessons within the stories, are to families.  The things that I hold on to and cherish are the stories my parents have told me about where they’ve come from and how they grew up.  If my dad and his brother can build a house for their mom (my grandma), surely I can fix the sink.  I’d rather break the sink trying than not give it a shot (You’re welcome, Shreya).  Don’t worry.  I fixed it eventually.
We are also Macklemore fans.  I was riding around, listening to his new album, when when I realized how how he has preserved advice and guidance for his daughter in the song “Growing Up.” If Macklemore is ever not around to speak for himself, his daughter will always know the following:
  • Emulate your Mother and compliment her every day
  • You’ll get a bus pass on your 16th birthday
  • You can rely on the community that raised you
  • Read “A Raisin in the Sun” and “The Alchemist”
  • Listen to Sam Cooke
  • Work hard at something you love
  • Behave in school (mostly)
  • Tell the truth no matter what
  • Have fun at prom, but don’t go wild
  • Do yoga
  • Learn about karma
  • Find God, but ignore dogma
  • Be selfless
  • Ask more questions
  • Study David Bowie, James Baldwin and 2Pac
  • Enjoy time with your friends
  • Wear a helmet
  • Jaywalk, but be smart about it
  • Go sledding, to music festivals and camping.
  • Take risks because life is short and you only get one shot at it

Now we can’t all be dropping #1 albums, but we can all take some time to preserve our wisdom and lessons-learned for future generations. The key is to take action and get it done!

Colin Ley is a Seattle estate planning attorney. He is also the co-founder of LayRoots along with his wife, Shreya. 

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What happens if a child’s guardian dies?

An audience member at one of our estate planning talks asked a good question: “If I die and a guardian is appointed for my child, what happens if that guardian dies a couple years later?”

In Washington, when the court approves a guardian for a child, that guardian has 90 days to appoint a successor guardian. That successor guardian would take over for the original guardian, if he or she were no longer able to care for your child. For this reason, it’s important that 1) you choose more than one potential guardian for your children, and; 2) your named guardians know who is next in line to serve as a potential successor.

Colin Ley is a Seattle estate planning attorney. He is also the co-founder of LayRoots along with his wife, Shreya.