Singing has always been a passion of mine — with my brothers, in choirs or in the shower. In choir, when the director handed out new music, I remember looking at the black notes on the white sheets of paper and thinking that the music made no sense, and it’s going to be really boring to sing.
As our choral group rehearsed and blended in harmony, the melody would always come to life and become a beautiful story in song—even more so as I connected more with the composer of the music, and the meaning and emotion the author intended to convey.
Everyone’s voice is unique, textured and lovely in its own way. When everyone sings in harmony, it makes the song exponentially more beautiful.
An estate plan has been regarded “as the sole, authentic voice of a man who is dead.” However, much like that sheet of paper with notes on it during the first day of choir practice, if left as a template legal document, without the maker breathing life (voice) and personal meaning into it, the legal document will remain sterile, sometines rendering it almost meaningless.
What is at risk in this case is family harmony.
Family members will apply their own song and lyrics to the document in the absence of the ma-kers’s voice, rather than being able to hear and honor the loved one’s story.
When you work with your attorney to establish or update your plan, to ensure harmony, please remember to make sure to incorporate your unique, textured and dynamic solo voice.
Stephen B. Yim, Attorney at Law
2054 S. Beretania St., Honolulu HI 96826
808-524-0251 | www.stephenyimestateplanning.com
Recently, a longtime client of mine was looking more energetic and less arthritic than usual. I asked him what’s new and got the I-know-something grin. After checking his nasal cannula and portable oxygen concentrator, I smiled; his doctor had already given me the scoop on his Las Vegas plans. That was the reason why I was there to help him. He laughed, saying Vegas is his therapy.
Alicia Nagasawa, 67
Melvin “Mel” Kellett, 71
Love’s Bakery has been an important part of Hawai‘i’s history for generations — marking its 165th anniversary this year!
Dr. Yamamoto, a pediatric rheumatologist for over 20 years, has become a leader in her field. She cares for the majority of children diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis (JA) in the state, who come from all eight islands. JA affects over 1,200 kids and their families in Hawai‘i.
One substitute for that great big binder is a USB, “thumb” or “jump” drive. It is a thumb-sized piece of hardware that plugs into almost any computer (iPads excepted) that will store more electronic documents than you will ever need it to hold. At a bare minimum, you will want store a copy of your advance directive and your HIPAA authorization (the document that gives medical providers your permission to talk to your decision maker), but you might also want other documents, such as your durable power of attorney. The downside to this technology is that it is a piece of non-waterproof hardware that can be lost, or stolen and misused.
Yet another option is Internet technology that allows you to store your estate planning documents in the “cloud” and access them from any computer or laptop (including your iPad) whenever you need to, and from wherever you happen to be at the time. One example is called Cubby (www.cubby.com), but there are others on the market. When you are a Cubby subscriber, you can create a secure link that you (or your kids or your financial planner) can use to access your estate planning documents 24/7. This can be a very helpful solution in a variety of contexts — not just medical emergencies.