Everybody needs to plan for when their path through this life finally reaches its conclusion.

Elisabeth Pickle has a lot of experience in that field and has opened a new branch for her business, Mindful Estate Planning, in Fountain Hills.

“I’m an estate planning attorney and I work with individuals, families and professionals who might be subject to high risk of liability and I try to create plans that will deliver your intentions regarding distribution of property and your legacy wishes,” Pickle said. “Most people with assets, children, retirement accounts, charitable inclinations or a business need an estate plan.”

Pickle explained that while a will is considered the cornerstone of estate planning, some people need a more extensive plan.

“We do a lot of trust-based planning for asset protection, for instance,” Pickle said. “Either way, my goal is to create a plan that will minimize the probate process, expenses and delays while ensuring privacy for families and individuals.”

Mindful Estate Planning is located at 11050 N. Saguaro Blvd., Ste. 201-B. The business can be reached at 480-422-6246 and found online at mindfulestateplanning.com.

Pickle has been practicing law for 20 years, starting her career as a medical malpractice attorney in Portland, Maine. Her grandfather approached her one day and said that, since she’s a “fancy-schmancy attorney,” he’d like her to draft his will.

Pickle did as she was asked, creating a will for her grandfather. The big legacy tied to this estate was the family farm.

“He wanted to leave the farm to my brother so, when he passed, my brother took over the farm,” Pickle explained. “Later, my brother ended up in a very nasty divorce and the farm had to be split between them.”

In other words, her brother literally “lost the farm.” Pickle said that incident propelled her into learning the finer details of estate planning, which in turn let to a career shift.

“What I learned was that I should have considered a trust and an asset protection type of planning so that the farm would have stayed in the family,” Pickle said. “So that’s what I do now…I’ve been in the trenches and, unfortunately, experienced this traumatic experience in my own family. I swore that I’d never let that happen on my watch, to my clients.”

Pickle said that, with a son heading off to college, she and her husband were looking for a place to set down roots for the next phase of their lives together.

“Fountain Hills just has that small town, friendly vibe that we are used to, coming from Maine,” she said. “We’ve fallen in love with the community, I’m a member of the Chamber, so I think we’ve found our home here.”

Looking back over her years in estate planning, Pickle said she considers it an honor to serve this role in someone’s life.

“I cannot believe the stories people share with me,” she said. “I’m very blessed and grateful to hear these stories and these intimate details about their lives; from their fears to their wishes and dreams. It’s beyond money. We talk about what they want their legacy to be. What do they want their grandchildren to know about them? They share that with me and they trust me to create an appropriate plan.”

Pickle said she feels estate planners provide tremendous value.

“We’re not litigators or the typical lawyer,” she said. “We’re planners. We tend to be more empathetic and compassionate. I think the work I do is value-based.”

Pickle said she hopes people also understand that talking to an estate planner is not always about “what happens after you die.”

“If you have a business or a family, you need at least some directives put in place in case you are temporarily sick or incapacitated. Who is going to take care of your kids, for instance? Young families, please come in and talk to me.”

In estate planning, Pickle said “anyone still breathing” should consider her services.

“If you really have concerns about passing your estate and assets down…come and talk to me,” she said. “It’s not just documents. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to happen? There are a lot of ways we can accomplish your goals.”