0:15 Do you ever wish you knew exactly how
0:17 long you had left to
0:20 live? When I was in my 20s, I thought I
0:22 had all the time in the
0:25 world. Planning for death, that was the
0:27 last thing on my mind. It felt like
0:29 something distant, you know, something
0:30 older people do or those dealing with health
0:31 health
0:34 issues. As an estate planning attorney,
0:36 I've prepared thousands of wills and
0:39 trust for my clients, and I've seen a
0:41 lot. Over the
0:45 years, I've learned how fragile life can
0:47 be. Let me take you back to October
0:52 12th, 2000. My ship, the USS Cole, was
0:54 docked in aiden, Yemen for refueling.
0:56 Now, I've been up all night navigating
0:58 the ship into port. So, once we were
1:00 secured, I prepared the charts we need
1:03 for our departure later that day.
1:05 Exhausted, I headed to the messaul to
1:08 grab some lunch. But for whatever
1:10 reason, I decided to skip the line and
1:14 get a few hours of much needed sleep
1:18 instead. Minutes after I laid down, a
1:26 rack. Our ship had been
1:29 bombed. Scrambling to get dressed, I
1:31 rushed out of the birthing area only to
1:34 be met with thick, suffocating
1:36 smoke. One passageway I tried to go down
1:40 was completely blocked. The other led me
1:42 to a devastating
1:46 sight. Dozens of injured
1:49 shipmates. Many of them were lying
1:52 motionless on the deck.
1:54 We did everything in our power to save
2:01 possible. At the end of that tragic
2:06 day, 37 sailors were injured and 17
2:09 young sailors lost their
2:13 lives. Most of them were sitting in the
2:16 messaul where I would have been had I
2:18 not skipped
2:21 lunch that day.
2:24 I learned how fragile life truly
2:26 is. It can
2:38 instant. Since then, I've lost friends,
2:40 family, and clients to unexpected
2:43 deaths. And look, none of them plan to
2:46 die. But here's the truth. The most
2:48 responsible thing we could do as an
2:51 adult is to plan for the inevitable. And
2:53 no, it's not just something for older
2:57 people to do. In fact, when death comes
2:59 unexpectedly when we're young, it's
3:01 often far more devastating for the loved
3:04 ones we leave
3:06 behind. Let me share the story of a
3:08 young couple in their 20s. Like so many
3:10 of us at that age, they were busy
3:12 building their future and dreaming of
3:15 what was to come.
3:17 Tragically, the husband died in a motorcycle
3:19 motorcycle
3:22 accident. Like many young couples, they
3:23 didn't have any significant savings or
3:26 assets other than the husband's small
3:29 business. The wife assumed she would
3:30 inherit his
3:32 business. But because he didn't have a
3:35 will or a trust, she was forced to split
3:37 his business with the husband's
3:39 11-year-old son from a prior relationship.
3:42 relationship.
3:44 As you can imagine, the wife was
3:47 devastated and her financial future was
3:49 thrown into
3:51 turmoil. All of that could have been
3:55 avoided had they taken a little time to
3:58 plan. Or consider the story of an
4:01 elderly couple who spent 55 beautiful
4:03 years together but never got
4:07 married. Imagine a lifetime of love,
4:10 shared memories, and commitments.
4:12 Florida doesn't recognize commonal law
4:15 marriage. So when the boyfriend died,
4:18 his assets, which were worth millions,
4:21 all went to his aranged
4:24 son. The girlfriend who he had shared a lifetime
4:25 lifetime
4:29 with, she was left with nothing.
4:32 nothing.
4:35 Nothing. Again, this heartbreak could
4:37 have easily been avoided had they taken
4:40 a little time to plan.
4:42 And if you're a young couple with minor
4:45 children, consider
4:47 this. What happens if you and your
4:49 partner die
4:53 unexpectedly? Who will raise your
4:55 children? Without a will, name a
4:58 guardian, a judge who you don't know
5:01 will decide who raises your
5:04 children. After your death, as many as
5:06 four sets of grandparents could fight
5:07 for custody of your
5:11 children, or worse, they could be split
5:12 up and have to live in different cities or
5:14 or
5:17 states. By naming a guardian in your
5:19 will, you ensure that your children's
5:27 stranger. Planning for the inevitable,
5:29 it's not just about setting up a will or
5:31 establishing the trust.
5:33 It's also about planning for a situation
5:35 where you're
5:37 incapacitated. Imagine you're 18 years
5:39 old, fresh out of high school, and
5:42 starting college at your dream
5:45 college. Then a car accident leaves you
5:47 in a
5:51 coma, who will pay your
5:53 bills, who will make medical decisions for
5:55 for
5:58 you. Without the proper legal documents
6:00 in place, even your parents won't have
6:02 access to your bank accounts or the
6:05 authority to act on your
6:08 behalf. By setting up a durable power of
6:09 attorney and a healthcare surrogate
6:11 designation, you ensure that someone you
6:14 trust can step in for you when you no longer
6:15 longer
6:17 can. Let me share one more story with
6:21 you. One closer to home. a good friend
6:23 of mine, someone vibrant, full of life,
6:26 and deeply committed to his family, died
6:30 unexpectedly in his 30s. Now, he had
6:32 taken the time to plan for vacations. He
6:34 had plans for promotions, even
6:36 milestones. But he hadn't planned for
6:38 what would happen if he was no longer here.
6:40 here.
6:43 After his death, his family faced not
6:45 only the unbearable grief of his loss,
6:48 but they also faced legal battles,
6:51 financial uncertainty, and emotional
6:54 strain. It was a stark reminder that
6:56 planning for the inevitable, it's not
6:59 about expecting the worst. No, it's
7:02 about preparing ahead so the loved ones
7:03 you leave behind have a sense of
7:07 stability and security.
7:08 The truth
7:10 is, none of us know how long we have
7:11 left to
7:14 live. We could still be dancing to chaa
7:19 well into our 90s, or we could be gone
7:22 tomorrow. But what we can do is
7:25 prepare. Take a few moments now to
7:26 ensure your loved ones are protected
7:28 when you're no longer
7:31 here. Because at the end of the day,
7:33 preparing for the inevitable, it's not
7:36 just a legal or financial decision.
7:38 It's an act of
7:40 love. It's a way of saying to your
7:42 family, "Look, I've thought of you and I
7:44 want to make things as easy as possible
7:46 for you when I'm no longer
7:51 here. And please, please don't wait.
7:53 I've seen far too many young lives cut
7:57 short. And as I shared, I came that
8:04 Planning for your death is the greatest
8:06 gift that you can give to those you care
8:07 about the
8:10 most. So start
8:11 today. Your
8:16 future and theirs depends on
8:19 it. Thank you. [Applause]
8:21 [Applause] [Music]
