This is the first in a series of episodes where I’ll be looking at the messier parts of life – estate planning, divorce, digital death, end-of-life planning, wills, etc. Y’know – fun stuff like that. And in true FUMS style, I’m calling the series G.Y.S.T. – “Get Your Shit Together”
Sooner or later, we are all going to have to start thinking about what happens at the end of our life – whether we have a lot or a whole lot of nothing, it’s a fact of life! And while this is the same for everyone, if we have a chronic health condition there are a whole lot of other considerations. What if I’m unable to stay in my home? What if I can’t make decisions about my finances or care?
With this in mind, I looked for an attorney whose practice concentrates on estate planning for the chronically ill. I bet you can guess how many results that particular google search threw up. What I did find was a professional with a personal connection to chronic illness – MS, in fact.
Martin M. Shenkman (call him Marty) is an attorney whose private practice concentrates on estate planning. When his wife was diagnosed with MS, he recognized how different planning looks for people with chronic illness and it changed his whole approach to estate planning.
Marty was so generous with his time, and this interview is so full of important, actionable content, that we decided to split it over two podcasts. And far from being a depressing topic, estate planning is more about planning for life rather than death. It’s the process of providing peace of mind for you, and your loved ones (however you define the term).
Topics covered in this episode include:
- Marty’s background in estate planning
- How estate planning differs in people with chronic illness from the general public
- How Marty and his wife prepare for their future
- The “Gold Standard” team of experts you can use – and how to achieve the same results if the dream team is out of your reach
- How often you should review your plans
Resources for this episode (clickable links):
- Visit Patients Getting Paid
- If you’re getting value from FUMS, please consider leaving a review wherever you’re listening now
- Help keep FUMS alive at the FUMS Podcast Patreon page – or buy FUMS Merch
- Get your copy of the EBook, “Bowel and Bladder Issues in Multiple Sclerosis by Two Pee Brains With Potty Mouths Talking Shit About MS”
- Read Marty’s article, Estate and Financial Planning for Those Living with Multiple Sclerosis
- Visit Shenkman Law and Law Easy
- Connect with Marty on LinkedIn
- Visit Marty’s Chronic Illness Planning website (coming soon)
** Sign up for The FUMS 6-Pack here: The FUMS 6-Pack.
~ Special thanks to my podcast editor Steve Woodward. Do you have a podcast or are you interested in starting a pod? I HIGHLY recommend adding Steve to your team. Find him at PodcastingEditor.com