Elder Law Report
Elder Law Report
Estate Planning to Kickstart Your New Year
Unlock the secrets to seamless end-of-year planning with Greg and Jordan McIntyre, a dynamic father-son duo of estate planning and elder law attorneys. Discover how this special season can be a catalyst for transformation, both personally and professionally. Greg shares his insight on using this reflective time to sift through the year's highs and lows, while Jordan emphasizes the power of renewal and the human capacity for reinvention. Together, they offer a unique perspective on how estate planning can play a pivotal role in ensuring peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Join us as we navigate the intricate dance of setting ambitious goals and refining systems to better serve our clients. From expanding litigation capabilities to streamlining operations across their practice, Greg and Jordan reveal their aspirations for the firm's future. More than just a discussion on estate planning, this episode is a heartfelt conversation about growth, connection, and the pursuit of excellence. Whether you're a fellow attorney, a client, or someone seeking inspiration, there's something in this episode for everyone aiming to start the new year with a refreshed perspective.
Hi, I'm Greg McIntyre, estate planning and elder law attorney. I'm going to talk about end of year planning, which to me, is a little bit of a misnomer, because it also involves planning for the next year. You know, there's really it's a false barrier or it's a false target to plan just on a calendar year, because the next day January 1, will be the same as December 31st. I do like the fact, though it is kind of a planning season. I still am acclimated to taking inventory of the previous year and I think that's the advantage. I'm joined by my son here, fellow estate planning and overall attorney, Jordan McIntyre. Hey Jordan, hey guys, hey Dad. Hey, he's in our Shelby office today. I'm sitting in our Hendersonville office.
Greg McIntyre:So I'll tell you how I look at end of year planning as an attorney, how it involves estate planning, how it's relevant to you and for our firm.
Greg McIntyre:So I look at end of year planning as a chance to take inventory going into the holidays, knowing I'm going to have a few days off to really settle, let the sediment settle in the stream of life and be a little more clear, get some clarity, spend some time with family.
Greg McIntyre:I like to recap the year Stop doing the things that were detrimental, that we didn't get a lot from over the previous year, Not carry those forward into the new year. Double down on the things that were very productive and that we got great results from in that previous year and then plan the new, bigger goal items, the wish list that we want to accomplish, and I call them my big three. My big three that's what I do is. I think that's the way I think I could organize all the smaller tasks under three major objectives to try to have all my actions over the coming year geared toward making those big three a reality. And if I do that every year, putting year after year together, doing that, it's unreal how much progress you can make in life, business period, personally and professionally. So what about you, Jordan? What does end-of-year planning, that title, mean to you?
Jordan McIntyre:Well, I think that I'm always striving to get a little bit better and always planning to get a little bit better, but I think the end of the year is a period where you have a little bit more time to reflect.
Jordan McIntyre:You have a little bit of time off work, you're around family, the things that are really important to you come to light, you have conversations with people who are important to you, and that allows you to have have, you know, the sense of renewal. Historically, the new year has been about renewal and figuring out who you are and who you want to be. And even though january 1st is just another day, I think it's very important because we, as humans, can continue to define who we are. We're one of the only, you know, animals on this planet that can wake up the next day and say I want to be something else, I want to be somebody different, I want to create new things and be a better person. So I think, in the context of estate planning, that means that I can wake up the next day and decide I want to take care of my affairs. You know, I'm around my family members and I want to make sure they're taken care of.
Greg McIntyre:Yeah, I think, as it relates to estate planning and to dealing with our clients, I would say for us, we want to continually give better service. I want to improve our efficiency of delivering that service. I want to be able to serve more people better. That's always the goal is to handle and cater to each and every client individually. One of our goals this year is to expand litigation so we can really handle our clients' litigation matters and more of them and bigger ones. Um, we have a healthy litigation weighing now. We do a lot of that, um, you know whether and it's also to streamline efficiencies and systems in each one of our departments state planning, benefits, probate litigation, then follow it up with the central feeder system prompts, communications and client management. Okay, so that's the way I see the breakdown kind of what we do, and there's a lot of complexities within that. But you know, I want to get much more efficient and have better systems in place that I personally designed along with our team.
Jordan McIntyre:Well and as your son, I can see that working here forever. I can see the planning you've done at the end of every single year and you know, just in the last year I've seen the litigation team grow. I see the way people can kind of get moved around, come in and out and they're quickly trained. They become important members of the team. And then every single year I step back in from school. It just keeps getting better and better and I know that's an active process on your part to figure out what is and isn't working and do that planning. I know you sit down at the end of every year and really figure that out and you can see that throughout every single aspect of the office.
Greg McIntyre:When you started, it was me. How about when you started? When you were little, you were at my law school, graduation, and when I started and we went out on our own, it was just me and your mom was helping you, and we worked together for a long time and started expanding and we'd get better at doing that planning and executing on our plans every year. And then, putting those years together, I think we have about 50 team members now. That's pretty cool and I feel like we're just getting started, if we're smart about it and we continue to improve. Have we made mistakes? Absolutely. You can't be afraid to make mistakes, though it's the way you learn. So not. You know and you want to be conscientious.
Jordan McIntyre:Try not to make mistakes, sometimes things you don't see, you want to take risks, but you want to take educated risk and plan.
Greg McIntyre:Yeah, I don't see him as risk. I just see. I just don't think you can be scared to move. I don't think you can be paralyzed by fear. Yeah right, I mean, I think that is a really vulnerable position to be paralyzed by fear. That's not a position you want to be in. So, anyway, in equating that, I'm glad you work for us now how about not work for us, work with us? In our firm we talk about our team members as not employees or managers and things like that. Really, we try to refer to them as team members because we're all team members, knowing there's some managers and some executive level positions, as there should be, but we value every position. Jordan's been doing an amazing job. I was so proud I was telling your mom I was so proud of you yesterday in your performance in running the Shelby office yesterday. So you're doing an amazing job.
Jordan McIntyre:I've seen you do it, I've seen Brenton do it, I've seen Sam do it in the Charlotte office. So Shelby definitely feels like home. It's more comfortable for me because I've been coming here since what? 2018? I think you've had this office and then the Lafayette Street office and the other one, but I feel comfortable here. But it definitely has to do with the training that I've been through the last few months.
Greg McIntyre:Absolutely, and I'd say you know to any potential clients out there, anybody watching I love to plan, I love to sit down and make new friends and sit down and discuss whatever problem you might have or opportunity you might have, or business-minded who love rental properties and real estate or have manufacturing companies, or a broad spectrum of clients.
Greg McIntyre:Business planning is part and parcel, part of estate planning, with corporate structures and LLCs as it relates to trust and legacy as it relates to trust, and you know legacy, you know, Jordan, I think for me and you both and our other attorneys at McIntyre Elder Law, you know we just want to continue to grow and improve and offer ourselves as advisors, vessels, you know, for planning and for sitting down and helping people work through their plans. And I think this is a great time of year for others to take inventory of their past year, their lives, meet with families, have great conversations and, you know, have some objectives and plans going into the new year. We can help with both the business and the estate planning part and we'll be glad to do that. Good time to take inventory that's the start of any plan is making an inventory and doing a review. No doubt about it. Anyway, Jordan, thank you for joining me today and I love you. I love you too.
Greg McIntyre:All right, and this has been an Elder Law Report. We'll be here next Elder Law Report. Usually we put these out weekly with another great topic. Okay, and I hope everybody has a good holiday season. All right, right now I know we are offering a free consult as well as a coupon off estate planning, a discount on estate planning. So go to our website to get that or give our office a call. Mclcom scheduling is how you can schedule a consult, or you can call us at 1-888-999-6600. Thanks everyone. Thank you, jordan. I hope you have a great day. Have a good day, all right.