Margaret began writing. “Here’s what we’re going to do. First, we revoke the existing power of attorney and create a new one with a neutral third party. I can recommend a professional fiduciary. Second, we create a revocable living trust and transfer your assets into it. This gives you complete control while you’re alive, but makes it much harder for anyone to manipulate your finances.”
“How long will this take?”
“We can have the basic documents ready by Friday. The trust will take a bit longer to fully fund, but we’ll get the critical pieces in place immediately.”
I signed the retainer agreement right there.
That evening, I received an email from Derek—the first direct communication I’d had from him in months. Subject: We need to talk, Louisa.
Jennifer is very upset. I think there’s been a misunderstanding about this weekend. I never said you weren’t welcome. She misunderstood me. We’d love to have you over for dinner Thursday to clear the air.
Also, about the stopped payments. I understand you’re concerned about finances, but we had contractors scheduled. This has put us in a very awkward position. Can we discuss this like family?
I didn’t respond.
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