Post-Divorce Prosperity: Estate Planning Essentials with Attorney Melissa Miroslavich
Today I am joined by Attorney Melissa Miroslavich, who helps with estate planning during and after a divorce. Melissa provides so many incredible nuggets during this episode, and even I have a bunch of takeaways and things to implement into the work I do with couples. She discusses the important documents for estate planning and breaks down what each of them are. Melissa talks about how divorce can impact these documents and what needs to be changed during and after the divorce process. She also dives into guardianship and how to make decisions collaboratively when it comes to your children. Tune in to this episode to learn all about estate planning!
In this episode:
[3:02] Melissa tells us her authentic story and how she arrived in law. [6:08] What are the important documents for estate planning? [8:07] How does estate planning change from when you’re married vs divorced? [11:45] What is guardianship? [20:47] Do your beneficiaries change when you’ve gotten divorced or do you need to do something? [22:43] How can an estate planning attorney work together with the rest of your divorce team? [25:37] Melissa provides her key takeaway for estate planning.
Key Takeaways:
One big decision to consider while going through a divorce, that many aren’t even thinking about, is do you still want your spouse listed as your power of attorney or health care directive if something were to happen to you throughout the divorce process?
Estate planning is really about your lifetime. You have documents that move with you throughout your life and change as your needs change.
Working through collaborative law can be a huge benefit when it comes to guardianship decisions. If you can both reach an agreement about where the children will go if something happens to both parents, and can put that in your estate plan it can allow for clarity if that unfortunate situation happens.
Quotes: “If you have a power of attorney in place and healthcare directive, it's very likely you've named your spouse in those roles. The question I would have for a client is, while you're going through this process, in your life, in your capacity, do you still want your spouse to be in those roles if something were to happen to you?” - Melissa Miroslavich
“I love collaborative law, and I'm on the Collaborative Law Institute board. I think that the process for divorce is so much healthier, has so much more respect and dignity for the people involved and for your family.” - Melissa Miroslavich
Guest Bio:
Melissa works with clients to understand their individual goals to create effective, strategic, and adaptable estate plans and collaborates with clients to provide education and advice to help ensure care and asset protection. She believes estate planning is one of the best gifts you can give your loved ones. As such, she also assists pet owners in planning for their pet’s care in the event the pet owner is no longer is able.
Melissa is also a qualified neutral under Rule 114 by the Minnesota Supreme Court and was the first attorney in Minnesota to complete Pet Custody Training. Here are our social media accounts. Let me know if there's anything else you need from me!
Resources:
Melissa Miroslavich – Schromen Law LLC
Call Schromen Law LLC at 651-571-2515
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