Jeanne C. Hoff of Jeffersonville is used to hearing, “Oh, that’s morbid” when people learn that her newly published book, “. . . between now and then - A Common-Sense End-of-Life Planning Guide for Baby Boomers (and the rest of us)” is designed to help prepare for departing this life
“(This book) isn’t about death and dying,” she asserts, “it’s about what do you want to do between now and then, My attempt here is to translate legalese and make it understandable.”
She recalls speaking with a co-worker many years ago, “when he said he wasn’t afraid of dying; he was afraid of what was between now and then” and his words stayed with her until she needed a title for her book.
As someone who is a former long-time executive and legal secretary, Hoff worked with numerous estate lawyers and financial planners. She also worked as a cemetery sales counselor and as owner of a flower shop. She says her cross-over experiences caused her to become passionate about end-of-life planning in the five overlapping areas of the topic: (1) Legal; (2) Financial; (3) Funeral and Burial; (4) Record-keeping; and (5) Personal.
Declaring that “Each category requires attention,” she says, “It is important to know how decisions made in one category connect to the others in various ways, and the best way to introduce readers to that idea is to present all the information at one time.”
Hoff says hearing that 98 percent of all estate plans fail inspired her to try to reduce that number. “Some people, she continues, “question the accuracy of that number, but would it really matter if the number were only 62 percent?”
So, beginning about 12 years ago, the writer started compiling the legal information she gleaned working in the law offices of James J. Heffernen, a tax lawyer with a practice which included estate planning and administration; lawyer Stephen H. Frishberg, with a similar practice, and other lawyers. Her employment experience in the offices of financial planner A. T. “Al” Benelli, CFP, who wrote the foreword to her book, also contributed to her expertise on the subject.
Hoff asks readers to consider if they are ready with answers to four questions:
1. When your lawyer asks you what you want in your will
2. When your financial planner asks you what you want your money to do for you
3. When a funeral director asks you what you want for the funeral of a loved one
4. When your doctor asks you what kind of end-of-life treatment you want for yourself
“There is much to think about in each of the situations,” she says, “and not much time in which to come up with your answers if you haven’t given them any prior thought. There are no right or wrong answers, and there are no immediate one-word or fill-in-the blank answers. These questions require thought and conversations, and if you are prepared by knowing the right questions to ask, you can expect to achieve the results you seek.”
With a chuckle, Hoff admits that this is not a book for bedtime or beach reading.
“It’s not something you are going to pick up and read straight through,” she says, “In this book, you will find the questions to ask, and then find some answers so that you will be able to make informed choices when the time comes.”
And conversation with family and loved ones is the most important preparation one can make, says the author, so that everyone knows your wishes.
“Can you say ‘No’ without guilt? Can you feel confident that it’s right for you?” she asks. “It gets really ugly when you try to clear out family business in the courts.”
A disclaimer at the front of “. . . between now and then” notes that the information provided is “for educational and informational purposes only.” It is not given as a substitute for appropriate professional legal and financial advice or for appropriate religious or personal counseling.
Having attended meetings with lawyers, financial advisors and grieving family members, Hoff recalls that, even after the professionals have given the family members a chance to ask questions, “the family members often go home without a clue as to what is in the papers they’ve been given.
“This book isn’t written for lawyers,” she adds.. “This was written for people who don’t speak the lawyers’ language.”
Books are available from Infinity Publishing at buybooksontheweb.com (“Between Now and Then), on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble on the Internet, from Kindle or directly from the author at email@example.com or 610-539-5659. The retail cost is $33.95.