KMA Law Office’s Estate Planning Services Can Help Retirees And Their Families Experience Peace Of Mind

Often referred to as “The Golden Years,” retirement from one’s career can bring about some of the best years or even decades life has to offer. Demanding schedules are replaced with a slower pace of life devoted to family, friends and checking adventures off a bucket list.

One important step in enjoying a fulfilling retirement is planning for your future – and that of your loved ones – by thinking through what will happen to your personal assets when you ultimately pass away.

Estate planning, including setting up wills and trusts, is one of the primary services offered at KMA Law Office. Based in Severna Park, the firm provides “big firm services with small firm attention.” In addition to estate planning, practice areas at KMA Law Office include probate and estate administration, personal injury and workers’ compensation.

Owner and attorney Karen Authement has 32 years of experience in the legal industry and has practiced law in Maryland since 2004 and the District of Columbia since 2006. She firmly believes in providing clients not only with professional service, but also with personalized care as they navigate some of life’s most difficult seasons.

Acknowledging the commonly held perception that attorneys can be “stuffy” or “intimidating,” Authement said, “For me, it’s always been about making it a comfortable atmosphere for our clients, making them feel welcome and … not just seeing them as a paper that needs to be pushed through.”

This compassionate approach is key in addressing end-of-life subjects that come up during estate planning.

“It’s a very sensitive topic for people, so much so that it’s one of the main reasons that people put it off. Every year (they say), ‘I’m going to get my will done, I’m going to get my will done,’” Authement said. “But nobody actually wants to sit down and take the time to talk about dying … until they either see somebody going through it or have experienced it, and (say), ‘OK, now I need to get this in order.’”

KMA Law Office is experienced in helping clients do just that. Offering comprehensive estate planning and administration services, the firm can help clients have control of what happens to their assets when they pass, as well as help surviving family members navigate probate.

“Estate planning is to set things up so that your assets that are titled in your name only go where you want them to go, not where Maryland law says they should go,” Authement explained.

She distinguished that creating a will designates someone – typically referred to as a personal representative – to handle the assets and instructions outlined in the will when a person passes away, under the oversight of the court during probate. Placing assets in a trust, on the other hand, is a popular option for avoiding the probate process that gives families quicker access to assets when their loved one passes away.

Authement ensures that clients of KMA Law Office receive complete estate planning packages, whether wills or trusts, that include power of attorneys and medical advance directives, as well, which take effect when a person is still living but is unable to handle things due to disability or incapacity.

At the completion of the estate planning process, Authement said people experience a great sense of relief at having things in place, noting, “They leave smiling and happy knowing that it’s done.”

“They know that it’s taken some of the pressure and stress off of their family for when they are gone,” she added.

Having personally experienced the sudden loss of a family member, Authement understands how difficult it is to juggle both grief and probate, as well as how planning for the unexpected can help mitigate emotional, painful and even contentious situations for families.

With thorough estate planning in place, families can simply contact KMA Law Office when their loved one passes and find comfort in knowing that many steps are already taken care of, and there are fewer things they need to do.

A lifelong resident of Anne Arundel County, Authement highlighted KMA Law Office’s commitment to serving not only clients, but the community as well. The firm has supported Partners In Care, a county-based nonprofit that helps older adults maintain their independence. For nearly three years, Authement has sat on the Severna Park Community Center (SPCC) board of directors as well, sponsoring events including the SPCC’s Fall Festival, Halloween Spooktacular, and Cookies and Cocoa with Santa.

“It’s very important to me to be a part of that, and to let (the community) know we’re not just here expecting your business, but we’re also here supporting organizations in need,” she said.

KMA Law Office has been based in Severna Park for 12 years, and is located in Suite 201 of the building Authement recently purchased at 540 Ritchie Highway. To learn more about the firm’s areas of practice, go to www.kma-law.com.