When I was a brand-new attorney, life felt like everything was happening all at once. I'd recently lost my mom. I'd bought my first house, which needed more work than I'd expected. And I'd adopted a very large rescue dog named Oliver.

Death Readiness Dispatch

August 5, 2026

Hi there,

 

When I was a brand-new attorney, life felt like everything was happening all at once. I'd recently lost my mom. I'd just bought my first house, which needed more work than I'd expected. And I'd adopted a very large rescue dog named Oliver.

 

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I convinced myself I didn't have time to get a haircut. So I stood in my bathroom, pulled my hair into a ponytail, grabbed a pair of household scissors...and cut it off.

 

It turns out that the decision to cut off my own ponytail is a lot like some of the decisions people make about estate planning. When life feels overwhelming, we're often drawn to the quickest solution we can think of. My haircut didn't solve any of the things that were actually overwhelming me. It just gave me one more thing to deal with (and a very patient hairstylist).

 

That's one of the reasons I try not to start estate planning conversations with solutions. Sometimes people tell me, “I already added my daughter to the deed,” or, “I put my son on my checking account.”

 

Those decisions usually come from a good place. They're trying to solve a real problem. They want someone to help pay bills. They want to avoid probate. They want to make things easier for their family. The interesting part is that those are very different goals, and they often have very different solutions.

🧩Are you trying to avoid probate?

🧩Do you need help paying your bills?

🧩Are you worried about incapacity?

🧩Do you simply want your child to inherit your home?

 

Once we understand the problem you're trying to solve, we can figure out which tool fits that goal best.

This week's episode starts with one simple question:

That sounds dramatic, but those are the right questions.

 

Adding someone as a joint owner isn't just about convenience. It can also expose your assets to risks you may never have intended, from divorce and lawsuits to financial problems and family conflict.

In this episode, I explain:

✅ Why adding a child to your deed or bank account isn't always the shortcut people think it is,

✅ The risks most families never consider,

✅ Better ways to avoid probate,

✅ And when revocable trusts, transfer-on-death deeds, beneficiary designations, and powers of attorney may make more sense.

 

And perhaps most importantly, why every estate planning conversation should begin with one question: “What problem are you trying to solve?”

If you're in Tennessee and you've been told, “You need a trust," or "Just add your daughter to the deed," I'd love to have a different conversation.

We'll start with your goals, not someone else's advice, and build an estate plan that solves the problem you actually have.

Thanks for being here.

PS: The best email I received this week: "Michael was adopted on Tuesday!" Our fourth foster puppy through Detroit Dog Rescue has found his forever family, and we couldn't be happier for him. ❤️