Life, Learning, and Legal Updates

This is an entry from the firm’s news archive. It is kept as it was written, and it describes an event that has already happened. For current guidance, start with our articles or a Right Fit Call.

Dear Clients and Friends of Cain, Cain & Janik,

Just like the half of our clients who planned in odd years and received their 2023 CUP letter, it was Marty’s and my year to participate in the Client Update Program (otherwise known as the Red Book Meeting) and update our own Revocable Living Trusts. Just like our clients, we have changes in our “Life”, we have changes in our “Learning”, and we are subject to changing “Laws”.

Life Changes

Since we last updated our own trusts, Marty and I have experienced some happy life changes. This past fall our youngest son, Brooks, was married to Sarah Richardson in Charlottesville, Virginia in a beautiful autumn ceremony celebrated by friends and family. We are so happy to have Sarah as part of our family. The good news continued as Brooks graduated from the OU College of Law on May 14th. After taking the Oklahoma bar exam this summer, Brooks will begin a one-year clerkship in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma with Senior Judge David Russell.

There are only a few hundred of these federal clerkships throughout the nation and many, many law graduates vying for these positions. We are very proud of Brooks.

Changes in Learning

In 2023 year we helped my 86-year-old father downsize from his two-story home to an assisted living apartment. Decisions were made by family members to determine which personal possessions would go to furnish the new apartment, which possessions would be gifted, and which possessions would be sold. We worked to furnish the new apartment and make it feel like home. We located a buyer for the former residence and helped prepare it for sale. Although it has been a very difficult year for my father and our family with the loss of his longtime companion, I’m glad to report that he is happy in his new living situation and has made many new friends in his new community. This experience with my father was a learning experience for me because it certainly made me realize how very, very important instructions are to the person or persons actually tasked with making the decisions on someone’s behalf. It is an awesome responsibility.

This learning experience is definitely going to make me take another look at my own special instructions this CUP season. I plan to take another stab at my own Special Stuff list so that my trustee will know exactly which items I consider to be “special” and who I want to receive these special items. This same “Learning” also applies to Health Care Instructions and Final Arrangements. Your trust and Health Care Power of Attorney give your loved ones the legal authority to make certain health care and living situation decisions for you. But I learned first-hand that it is such a help to your decision-makers if you have also given them guidance about how or where you want to be cared for, along with any other special wishes you may have. The same is true for leaving specific instructions in your Final Arrangements. They let your family know that they are carrying out your wishes. Changes in Law. We’re watching those for you 

In closing, forget what they say about the “Cobbler’s children having no shoes”. Just like you, I’m appreciative to have the reminder when it is my year to update my own estate plan and to make sure that my own plan is consistent with my Life, my Learning, and the current Laws.

Sincerely, Tamara Cain