Allow Us to Reintroduce Ourselves

Memento Law, PLLC is coming January 1, 2024 to change the way you think about estate planning. We are forging a new path for families in the LGBTQ+ community (and their allies!) to document and preserve their legacies for generations to come. Whether your goal is to create generational wealth, ensure your children are safe in the event of your death, or to maximize your investments through proper legal planning, Memento Law is here to capture your legacy.

After over a decade in Family Law and Criminal Defense, Ryan has become an expert in what brings people to court, and more importantly, what it will take to keep them out of it. We believe legacy planning involves more than a list of assets and how they are to be distributed. No one does estate planning for themselves; we are here to help you give this precious gift to the people you love most.

Memento Law - Capturing Your Legacy 

Capture Your Values

While significant strides have been made to increase protection and visibility, such as the legalization of same-gender marriage and increased recognition of LGBTQ+ families, there is still a large gap in estate planning for LGBTQ+ individuals that could leave your loved ones with a big mess.

Estate planning laws are still written for hetero, cisgender individuals, and many lawyers aren’t well equipped to customize their estate plans to account for the unique family dynamics and wishes of LGBTQ+ clients. Sadly, if you have LGBTQ+ family members or are in a non-traditional family dynamic of any kind and don’t have a custom estate plan, the people you love most could find themselves accidentally disinherited from your estate or stuck in a lengthy and expensive court battle. 

To make sure your family is well-cared for no matter how the law defines you, customized estate planning is crucial for LGBTQ+ and all non-traditional relationships. 

Parents - in the event that something happens to you, it's crucial to have a plan in place that addresses who will be your children’s legal guardian, and this is especially true if the children in your family aren’t biologically related to one of the parents, such as step-children or children born to same-sex parents who aren’t married.

Not only can these situations create some unique legal planning, but LGBTQ+ parents may also face resistance from family members who may not support children living with a biologically unrelated guardian or an LGBTQ+ guardian, whether you and your partner were married or not.

Similarly, if your family is resistant to certain lifestyle or parenting choices you have made - such as gender fluidity in how you raise your child or the topics you discuss within your family - it’s incredibly important to name guardians who align with your beliefs and who will honor your wishes for how you want your children to be raised.

Allies - we wouldn’t be where we are today without you. Your voice matters, and we sincerely appreciate your commitment to your values of inclusion, equity, and kindness. We want to make it clear that our doors are open to you and we will proudly link elbows with you to ensure your family’s needs are prioritized. 

No matter your family structure, we will ask the right questions to help you determine your priorities, and together we will create a plan that reflects who you really are and the legacy you want to leave behind. We invite you to embrace the tough conversations and allow us to help you create a sense of peace for you and your loved ones. 

Capture Your Identity

Authenticity, autonomy, and the right to express them both is a cornerstone of our belief system. With the trans community at the statistically highest risk of violence, legal oversight, and discrimination, we are standing in the gap to ensure that there is an accessible resource for families who are a part of this community to be represented and protected through proper estate planning. 

Regardless of background, gender identity, family structure, or financial status, we believe everyone deserves to be remembered as their truest selves. Unlike other estate planning attorneys, we dig deep with our clients to determine and document the details that will allow their loved ones to honor them respectfully in their death. Sometimes, this looks like making sure your chosen family is included in the decision-making processes surrounding your affairs. Sometimes, it looks like outlining specific wishes for your burial attire, so that your loved ones can see you, the real you, as they say their goodbyes. And sometimes, it looks like ensuring that your pronouns are respected to the highest degree, honoring our clients in life and in death. 

We have a special soft spot for protecting trans kids. We know that kids in this community will be susceptible to additional struggles due to the lack of representation and acceptance of them in legislation. We can put together a Kids’ Protection Plan (KPP)  for them to ensure the right folks have guardianship over your minor child in case something were to happen to you before they turn 18. With a customized KPP, you can ensure that your kiddo is loved, respected, and safe - even after you are gone. 

Capture your Memory

We want to offer our clients a unique and meaningful experience. As much as we understand the importance of the business-end of a death, we believe that life is to be lived and celebrated. We don’t just want to list your assets and how they should be distributed, we want to help you create the most thoughtful gift for your loved ones. To conclude the estate planning process with our team, we offer clients the opportunity to sit down with us for a Legacy Interview. During this interview, we will ask you some questions and record your responses in an effort to capture the true essence of you. We want to give your loved ones the opportunity to see your face, hear your voice, and listen to your stories after you are gone. You’ll be able to choose the prompts that best relate to your life, allow you to share special memories, and leave words of love for your family and friends. 

As part of our free 3-year review for all Trust and Will Plans, we will give you the option to re-film this Legacy Interview as you move through the years. Kids grow up,  we chase new adventures, we find new loves, and we accumulate more path-altering experiences. As you and your family grow and change with time, these mementos will be a documentation of your journey and a token of your love and life together. 

We know that mourning is hard enough; preventing undue stress, pressure, and chaos for your loved ones can help them focus on celebrating the life that touched them so deeply.  Let us help you capture your legacy.