Why I Became an Estate Planning Attorney

Image of Jayme Durkee, estate plan attorney for Cherish Legal, smiling with her son kissing her on the cheek

I want to tell you a little bit about why I want to help families with kids get their estate plans in order.

It wasn’t just because estate planning allowed me to tell tales of tax laws at cocktail parties (so fun! 😜), finally get to have a corner office (great view! 😎), or deeply impact the lives of people from all over Illinois and Wisconsin (actual benefit of the work I do! 😇).

It’s because a few months ago, I had a health scare of my own. After going in for my first routine mammogram, I’ve had to go back for multiple biopsies. The current diagnosis is “inconclusive. It’s probably not cancer, but, please come back for continued boob squishing every few months so we can make sure.”  

I’ve got three kids of my own, and this was a wake up call.

What will happen to my kids when I die? Am I living the life I want to be living? Am I helping the people I want to be helping?

I already had an estate plan, but did it actually align with my values and hopes and dreams for my kids? Had I done a good enough job communicating it? Had I actually considered the bigger picture? 

My “big why” is I want moms and dads to feel confident that they have done everything they can to ensure that their kids will be taken care of in the worst case scenario.

I’m not sure what your situation is today, but I want to ask you ONE question:

How confident are you that things are really set up for your family after you’re gone? 

Think about it for a second.

Most likely, there are real things you want for your family. Things that go beyond dividing up material possessions and avoiding taxes.

So I want to know:

How are you going to share your love with your family even after you’re gone?

Maybe it’s making sure your family knows exactly what you want in a funeral so they aren’t grieving you and arguing about what songs to play during your service while sitting in a funeral director’s office. 

Maybe it's making sure there’s enough money to pay for your kid’s college when the time comes. 

Maybe it’s getting everything organized so your family isn’t slogging through the legal process for months or years after you die just to sort out a $40,000 inheritance. 

Maybe it's being one of those people who has the courage to face the reality that we cannot know the future, but we can take action to make it better for our kids. 

So what is it for you?

What do you want life to look like for your family after you’re gone?

I almost wrote that I’m dying to know…but really, I’m living, learning, and loving - and I want to know what keeps you living, learning, and loving.


Join Me!

PS - I've been over here cooking up a very special (and totally free) webinar in a couple of weeks to talk about things you can do right now to protect your kiddos.


Are you ready to take control?

Follow these steps to get the ball rolling in your court!

  1. Download our Estate Planning Workbook to help you think through some of the questions you will be required to answer

  2. Review our Estate Planning pricing plans to learn more about how we help you plan for your future.

  3. Get started working with us when you are ready to take control of your legacy!


We hope you found this estate planning information helpful. As a reminder, the information presented here is for general informational purposes only. You are unique, and legal advice should be tailored to your unique situation. Do not rely upon any information here as legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. If you would like to learn more about how we can protect your family or small business, please contact us!

Cherish Legal is an estate planning law firm based out of Rockford, Illinois. We are licensed to practice estate planning in Wisconsin and Illinois. We provide virtual estate planning services to families and legal counsel to small businesses located. Our services include: wills, trusts, power of attorney, estate plans, guardianship, trust administration, probate, and asset protection.

Jayme DurkeeComment