Deborah experienced first-hand the need for a comprehensive estate plan; what can happen when you have an estate plan, but it is insufficient, ineffective, or inconsistent with the maker’s true intent. Also, she knows how an unexpected disability can alter your life forever.

The product of a two-parent household, Deborah lost her mother at 13, and nine months later, she watched her dad have a massive stroke. With no guardianship documents in place, Deborah spent the rest of her childhood moving from one relative to another. Her dad spent the rest of his life incapacitated due to the residuals of the stroke.

Watching her bedridden father be denied social security disability benefits after 30 years of military service and a second career with the state of North Carolina government profoundly affected her. This series of unfortunate events cemented her decision to fight the vulnerable, disabled, and disenfranchised population. Additionally, as an adult, Deborah suffered from the residuals of a disability.

Despite her father executing a will and securing his family’s future financially, the lack of sufficient estate planning was costly and failed to achieve his desired results. There was no power of attorney documents in place appointing someone to handle financial matters and no health care agent to communicate her dad’s wishes as the stroke compromised his communication ability. When her father passed away, the will was insufficient to carry out his wishes. He wanted her inheritance distributed every seven years until depleted. While attempting to make well-reasoned decisions without using the correct estate planning tools, those good intentions failed to achieve the intended goals.