You may have noticed that a silhouette of a longleaf pine has been added to our firm’s logo. One obvious trait of the longleaf, much like the slash and loblolly pines which also grow on the coastal plain where we live, is that it has a deep root system. What benefit is a deep root system? As this article by Les Harrison in the Tallahassee Democrat explains, many shallow-rooted trees fall in storms, but “[o]ne durable, deep rooted native genus that is usually one of the last standing after stormy weather is the pine. Its sturdy structure is one of its many useful features.” Just like many of our local landowners have long known of the benefits to growing pine and have become tree farmers, finding comfort in the reliability of a strong stock of deeply rooted pines, many of the clients of our law firm have exercised wisdom to develop deep roots for their lives and legacy. Responsible people figure out sooner rather than later that without a strong foundation of well-planned legal, insurance, financial, and spiritual protections, what they care about can easily fall apart when a storm comes. Storms and droughts are inevitable, but as Jeremiah the Prophet exclaimed long ago, “[b]lessed is the man who trusts in the Lord [for h]e is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17: 7-8. Clearly, without roots embedded in something meaningful, you will ultimately fail.
The Bryant & O’Connor Law Firm is committed to pushing our clients to grow their own strong roots. Creating the type of foundation we are talking about is not something you can do by yourself. Proper professional guidance will help you be the type of leader in your family, community, or business that makes an impact long after your prime years. We have adopted the tagline “Plan, Protect, and Pass it On” because we want to emphasize using professionals to proactively manage your affairs rather than being reactive after you have a big problem. You do not need to worry about what would happen to your loved ones if you died or became disabled. You also do not need to worry about losing your home if your business gets sued. There is of course a caveat to this – you will worry and probably should worry about these risks if you are not prepared. To live confidently, establish roots that will protect you and your loved ones when the storms come. If you would like to explore how we might be able to help you have strong roots, please call or email our office and inquire about our real estate, small business, and estate planning services. Currently we are emphasizing more practical estate planning for forward thinking members of our community. The reality is that even many people with some estate planning documents have plans that will fail. It is important that you understand the plan for your estate, not only if you die but also if you become disabled or incapacitated. Working together, we can at least get you more organized and educated than ever before, and if we are a good fit, you might engage us to develop a plan designed specifically for you and also ensure that you are connected to the other types of professionals who will have you standing strong like one of those healthy Georgia pines.