
Thank You
I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for your support of Cris Carter Law. I am passionate about my work, and the importance of it. Especially in this year of tremendous hardship and pain. We have learned that life is precious, fragile, and unpredictable. Giving me that much more reason to share just how important estate planning is. And how it is one of the most important gifts you can give your family. I would like to take a moment and share why I chose to become a lawyer.
Why I Chose To Become A Lawyer
Some of you know how it is I came to be a lawyer however many of you don’t. It is a very personal story of how a nice girl like me ended up being a lawyer. A moment in time that changed my life forever and I am so thankful it did. It all began when I was 7 years old. I was a passenger in a car that was traveling down a remote highway at night in a rainstorm. The car I was riding in was a very small car and I was sitting in the passenger’s seat. My oldest sister was driving the car. As we approached an intersection a large Cadillac making a left-hand turn pulled right out in front of us. There was no time to stop and so we ended up broadsiding that Cadillac going 60 mph. That was back in the day that cars did not have seatbelts so I was propelled through the windshield of the car and landed on the road. I had lacerations all over my face and neck from where I passed through the windshield and was lifeless. As fate would have it, a telephone repairman happened upon the scene of the accident and in the pouring rain scaled a telephone pole nearby. He broke into a telephone line, intercepted a signal and made an emergency call to get an ambulance to the scene of the accident. (realize that this was long before we had cell phones or even mobile phones). I was rushed to the nearest hospital, however they were not equipped to handle injuries as severe as mine. I was then transported to a larger hospital in a larger metropolitan area. Upon my arrival, the doctors told my parents that I was not going to make it; that my injuries were too significant. And they were almost right. I was resuscitated more than once that night. The doctors thought it was remarkable that I was still alive however the prognosis was not good as I was in a coma and had serious concussions in addition to the deep cuts on my neck and forehead. It was touch-and-go for quite a while as I laid in a coma. The doctors told my parents that I had an incredible will to live and that is what they attributed my continuing to breathe. That was one amazing part of the story, however it got better.
After I was out of the woods, my parents found a lawyer to take my personal injury case and obtain money damages for what looked like would be a compromised life existence for me. As the lawsuit wound its way through the court system, the doctors kept monitoring my progress until they said I was as good as I would ever be. That lawyer fought for me and obtained a settlement. It wasn’t a large settlement in reality, but for me, it was some money to know that if I kept my grades up, if I worked hard, I would have the opportunity to go to college. You see my parents were of very limited means financially; my brothers and sisters lived a very meager existence during my childhood. There were times that we didn’t have food to eat and would rely on the welfare system or handouts from others. There were times that our utilities would be turned off for non -payment. There were times when we had no car, or if we had a car, there was no money to put gas in the car. A college education was not something that my parents could have provided for any of their children. The money just wasn’t there. But “my attorney” safeguarded those monies for me by having them placed into a court monitored trust that could only be used for my needs after approval by the judge. That attorney had given me an amazing gift: the gift of hope; the dream of a college education and the possibility of a future as an attorney.
So from age 7, when anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was clear. This little girl would look them straight in the eye and say with conviction, “I am going to be an attorney so I can help people”. People would get wide eyed and chuckle. That didn’t matter to me; in fact it made me more convicted that I would go to college, I would go to law school and I would make a difference in the lives of others, just like my attorney had done for me.
And I am beyond thankful for what I am able to do for others, how I have been able to give back, and that I can continue to give back. I have encountered many other good people on my life path that have reached out to give me a hand, and I only hope that I can continue to reach others that need a life up.
Being Thankful and Giving Back
As you can see from my story, and our current pandemic, that life is precious, fragile, and unpredictable. In times of turmoil, division, and hardship it is sometimes hard to see how much we have to be grateful for. I know I am grateful for my family, my profession, and my health. What are you thankful for? Take time to remind yourselves and others that this is a time to give back, and a time to show gratitude
Cris Carter Law would like to give back. If you, or someone you share this message with, schedules a Family Estate Planning Session from now through the end of December, 2020, the session will be FREE! A session valued at $750, but worth so much more! I will also donate $100.00 to the Food Bank for Larimer County. Join us in giving back, while planning and protecting your future and your loved ones!
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We would also like to invite you to watch our on-demand webinar, and learn a bit more about the importance of planning for your lifetime and your loved ones: https://bit.ly/ondemandwebinarnov
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This article is a service of Cris Carter Law. We don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That’s why we offer a Family Wealth Planning Session,™ during which you will get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before, and make all the best choices for the people you love. Start by giving our office a call today!