When We Prepared for Uncertainty We Prepared for COVID-19
Yesterday I drove several hours round trip to pick up my daughter and roommate from their dorm room. The university had announced that due to concerns related to COVID-19 and in an effort to prepare for the uncertainty it entails, all classes and exams would be conducted virtually. The campus had become eerily empty, so they asked to come home. Yesterday evening, after we had returned, the university announced that all classes would remain virtual following return from spring break until school let out in June. My daughter and I will be driving back to campus this weekend to retrieve the rest of her possessions from her dorm.
All of this is, of course, unexpected but it is something for which any of us could plan. Before my daughter left for college I had done some legal planning with her and put certain systems and structures in place just in case she fell ill or was injured and needed her parents’ help. Honestly, I had no idea that we would be dealing with a pandemic her first academic year away at college and thought I would put these plans in place and not think about them until she was preparing to graduate. On the drive back home yesterday, even though we have not had to rely upon that planning I felt a sense of reassurance that we could have if it were necessary.
Planning for the Unexpected
This planning and the systems and structures that I am referring to are typically the product that many refer to as “estate planning.” Estate planning is not just about wills or trusts. Those are simply tools that are used by estate planning lawyers to help their clients prepare for the inevitable and the unexpected. The planning can go well beyond these foundational estate planning documents and might also include systems and structures that would come into play if you or one of the people you care most about were to become seriously ill.
COVID-19, by all accounts, is a real concern. Eventually, it will run its course and life will return to what we all think of as “normal.” Until it does, many are fighting back against the sense of helplessness and that is what I really want to touch upon in today’s article.
Safety of a Virtual Law Firm
It is not too late to engage in legal planning that will leave you and those you care about most better prepared. Our office is structured to operate largely as a virtual law practice. The majority of our meetings are conducted over a video conference and we are now enhancing our procedures to make in-person meetings, when those are necessary, safer for all involved.
Yes, the times are uncertain but there are reasonable and proactive measures each of us can take. For my part, I will be hosting a special webinar presentation to address some of the uncertainty we are currently facing and provide attendees with some practical guidance as to what they can do to effectively prepare for such uncertain times.
