I was born and raised in Kansas. I’m a husband, a soon-to-be father, and a lifelong drummer.

Like many people, I grew up seeing what happens when aging and death are not planned for. In my family, my dad became the default caretaker. For years, I watched him carry the responsibility of helping his elders through difficult transitions. I saw the emotional and practical toll it can take on a family, and that stayed with me.

My professional path into estate planning began in the early 2010s, when I met John Burman. John was a law professor forced into early retirement by a serious neurodegenerative illness that gradually took his sight and mobility. Despite that, he continued to think, teach, and write.

We worked closely together, co-authoring articles and drafting legislation. I spent time in his home with him and his wife, at times typing as he dictated. Much of our work focused on end-of-life decision-making. That experience shaped how I think about autonomy, dignity, and planning. John passed away in 2019, but what I learned from him continues to guide how I approach this work.

As my legal career continued, I worked on the Uniform Trust Code and spent time helping new law graduates develop competence and practical skills needed to become real lawyers. Eventually, I began practicing as an elder law and estate planning attorney.

That is where things became clearer.

I started to see a gap.

I felt that, in many cases, estate planning was not as accessible or easy to follow as it could be. So I started my own firm with a simple goal. Make the process clear, approachable, and something people could actually complete, so their families would not be left with a mess.

But over time, I began to notice something else.

I would meet with families after a loved one had passed. They would bring in documents created years earlier, believing everything was in order. But I kept seeing the same problem. The documents were there, but the plan did not work.

Sometimes, nothing had ever been implemented. Other times, life had changed, and the plan never kept up.

The result was the same. Confusion, delays, and unnecessary costs. A burden placed on the family at the worst possible time.

I came to think of this as the False Finish. The moment when someone signs their documents, believes they are done, and walks away, even though the real work was never completed or maintained.

That realization changed how I think about and practice estate planning.

Yes, the process should be clear and accessible. But more importantly, a plan should be implemented and kept aligned with a person’s life over time.

We stay involved beyond the initial planning process and document drafting, helping to ensure plans are implemented, kept up to date, and aligned as life evolves. The goal is simple. Reduce the chance that something is missed, overlooked, or left undone.

Because a plan does not work on paper alone. It is more likely to work as intended when everything and everyone involved is prepared. Anything less leaves too much to chance.

At the end of the day, my work is built around a simple idea: Estate plans should work.

So that when the time comes, the people you care about can move forward with clarity, not confusion.

If that is the kind of planning you are looking for, we’re happy to help.