Losing a loved one is not just a roller coaster of emotions; it is also an experience full of legalities and paperwork. In this episode, I sit down with lawyer Michelle Farley to have a legal talk about grief, exploring how to get organized for the eventual passing of a partner, a parent, a relative, or even yourself. She explains the importance of preparing a last will, getting into trust, the benefits of life insurance, and making funeral plans with the most beloved people in your life. Michelle also discusses the complexities of having a grief brain, exploring why you should not make major financial decisions a year after the passing of a loved one. Thank you for viewing this post. I am not a licensed therapist or professional life coach. I am sharing my experience of loving the same man for 32 years, a mother to two adult children, a retired military officer, a breast cancer survivor, and my connections with others. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should reach out to a suicide hotline or local emergency number in their country: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/suicide/suicide-prevention-hotlines-resources-worldwide. — Watch the episode here   Listen to the podcast here   A Deep Legal Talk On Grief With Lawyer Michelle Farley In this episode, our guest is a lawyer from Pennsylvania. Her name is Michelle Farley. She is going to cover some essential topics that are very critical in dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one. Let’s get into the conversation.     All About Michelle In this episode, our guest is a lawyer from Pennsylvania. Her name is Michelle Farley. I want to be specific in the idea that she has legal information to share with us but she’s also speaking from the perspective of law as it relates to the state of Pennsylvania. This information is going to be helpful because it will give you that cornerstone of information to broaden your reach with your local lawyer and find out where you need to go and what you need to do. This will be a jump-off point for you. Welcome, Michelle Farley. Tina, thank you so much for inviting me. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity. You’re well aware that you and I go way back in time. I’m going to introduce myself and then explain a little bit about our background in terms of how we know each other. My name is Michelle Farley. I’m an attorney, practicing in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. That’s Monroe County, Pennsylvania. This is where Tina lived not too long ago. I have to give the disclaimer that we have not formed an attorney-client relationship between me and the readers. Also, I’m not giving specific legal advice to anyone to your readers but rather this is general information, which I’m hoping that your readers will find helpful. I have been an attorney shockingly for many years. It’s hard for me to believe. Basic summary of my practice, and I won’t go into too much detail, but after college, I attended law school at New York University. My first job was clerking for a Federal Judge in Baltimore. When somebody knew they wanted to be a courtroom lawyer, usually, the best first job is to work for a judge so you can see other lawyers in action and that’s what I did. From there, I joined a huge law firm in Washington, D.C. At that time, there were over 1,000 lawyers in private practice there. Interestingly, during the time that I worked there, there was a young partner there named John Roberts. He’s the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. It was where a lot of the movers and shakers were at that time right in the thick of things in Washington, D.C. I was there for about six years, getting my feet under me, getting some good training, and learning from older lawyers and then I moved to the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania after getting married. My husband and I wanted to be in a more rural country area. He identified the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania as a good spot. As Tina knows, my husband was a big hunter and fisherman so he wanted to be in the woods somewhere, and poking them out fit the bill. For a couple of years, I didn’t practice law. I worked as an Environmental Project Manager in a non-legal position but then I did open my office in 1999 in Pennsylvania after passing the bar examination and getting licensed here. I met Tina around 2003 or 2004. Is that right, Tina? It was right around 2000. Catherine was starting kindergarten in the Pocono. We have relocated from Virginia to Pennsylvania. We went to Pennsylvania because our children were young and Mark was from Bloomsburg. It was a good opportunity for the children to be close to his family. Also, Mark was working in New York as an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers electrician. The time has come for Catherine to go to school. This part I thought was very interesting for the area that they allowed the parents to ride the bus route that their children would go on. You would be acclimated to your child’s route. When I got on the bus, we made assessments of everything and I looked at a few ladies in the back and they looked click-ish. They looked to me, some stay-at-home moms, which I was but I was in transition. I looked at Michelle and she was sitting there. She wore a suit but if she had that demeanor, I was like, “She’s my people.” I went and sat next to her and started chatting up a little bit. “You didn’t want to just sit by yourself.” She was sitting there so properly and back straight. Michelle and her family are tall. I’m like, “Yes, tall women.” They look professional. I was like, “I’m right here. This is who I’m sitting next to.” Tina and I chose each other. We