About Michelle Castillo | Sobre Michelle Castillo
There are two reasons why I decided to dedicate my law career to Estate Planning. The first is I love helping people, the second reason is more of a personal one. In my early 20’s my grandmother suffered a stroke in the middle of the night. It wasn’t until the next day that my mother discovered her on the floor unconscious. We rushed her to the hospital where the neurosurgeon, an older gentleman, who coldly asked us if we wanted him to operate on her. My mother’s reaction was, of course, what are you waiting for. And it was then when the doctor began to explain that he did not think it would be a good idea due to her age and the length of time she was unconscious. "Unfortunately, surgery would only prolong the inevitable,” he said. My mother was disgusted by his prognosis and naturally demanded that he perform the surgery. With much hesitation, the doctor said, “are you sure you know what you are asking me to do?” My mom’s response was, “save her”.
After the surgery, my mother spent three of the most overwhelming years of her life caring for my immobile grandmother. She spent a fortune for home care assistance and my mother’s marriage suffered as she devoted most of her time caring for my grandmother. The family missed our mother because she was often missing from family gatherings and outings. My grandmother’s medical condition was taking a financial and emotional toll on all of us. Despite our difficult time, our poor grandmother suffered the most. After being so independent and active, she now was 100% incapacitated and dependent on all of us.
If we had to do this again, we would have made very different decisions. We often talk about how right the doctor’s prognosis was. We should not have opted for the surgery and my grandmother would not have suffered as she did. Unfortunately, my grandmother did not have a say in my mother’s very emotional decision that eventually affected all our lives. If only my grandmother had seen an estate planning attorney, we would have had the proper documents to help her make those important decisions while she was alive and well. Our grandmother and family would have discussed what she wanted and how she wanted to die. In retrospect, my mother would have been better prepared for that moment and would have made the decision based on my grandmother’s wishes.
When I share this story with my clients, they understand why planning for the future is an important matter to discuss. We can talk about the inevitable and find solutions before they become problems. For this reason, I do more than just Estate Planning for my clients, I do Family Planning. Family Planning has everything to do with how we want to live the final years of our lives.
As An Attorney | Sobre La Abogada Castillo
Michelle Castillo is a California Estate Planning Attorney. Her practice focuses on helping families plan for the future. Her areas of practice are in Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills, Healthcare Directives, Power of Attorneys, Guardianship Nominations, Trust Administration, Probate and Asset Protection.
Attorney Castillo has over 15 years experience in Real Estate, Mortgages and Insurance. She is the wife of a United States Marine Veteran and mother of three young girls. She understands the needs of military families and families with small children. As a trusted adviser, Attorney Castillo examines a client’s overall estate ensuring the client’s assets are well protected and being maximized.
Attorney Castillo is Bilingual in English and Spanish. Her clients range from senior citizens to young couples beginning their life together. Her passion is to assist the Latino community in obtaining professional and trusted estate planning advice, which makes her a sought-after attorney by the Latino population. Attorney Castillo takes pride in understanding and assisting the needs of families in their native tongue.
