Everyone talks about the exciting parts of moving offices.
The paint colors. The chandeliers. The historic building. The "fresh start." The Pinterest boards. The coffee bar.
No one - not one single person - warns you about the meat.
I know, I know… you’re wondering what in the world I am talking about.
After spending the better part of three months renovating our beautiful new office, moving day finally arrived.
While it was bittersweet leaving the office I've called home for the last 10 years (and the one Kristen and Andrew shared for nearly 15), I felt surprisingly prepared for the move itself.
Our punch list was small.
Our communication and network were setup seamlessly.
Every piece of furniture was accounted for.
I was feeling downright smug.
We moved in quickly and had minimal disruptions to our practice. It could not have gone better.
On the last day of our lease, I went to our old office to do one final walkthrough. Everything was as it should be.
Then I opened the freezer.
What in the world...
Inside sat approximately 10 pounds of mystery meat.
Not rotten meat.
Frozen meat.
Perfectly preserved meat that a wonderful client had gifted Andrew...
...in 2022.
Apparently, everyone admired the gift.
Everyone appreciated the gift.
Everyone forgot the gift.
Including Andrew.
Now here's the problem.
It's the day before our lease expires.
The new tenants are moving in tomorrow.
You cannot, in good conscience, leave someone a surprise meat inheritance.
So there I am, standing in an empty office, holding a frozen block of what… beef? deer? the size of a toddler, frantically Googling:
"Where do you dispose of 10 pounds of raw meat?"
Google was...less than encouraging.
Every option sounded like the opening scene of a true crime documentary.
"Take it to a landfill."
"Contact your local waste authority."
"Double bag it."
Suddenly I was convinced that driving around Pensacola with a suspicious cooler full of meat was going to land me on some sort of watch list.
"Ma'am...why exactly are you transporting 10 pounds of unidentified frozen meat?"
"No, Officer, I promise this is from a client."
Which, somehow, sounded worse.
I drove around thinking I might find a restaurant whose dumpster I could use… that seemed logical but still slightly illegal.
I went as far as to open one but it was empty… sigh.
After much internal debate, I made the only logical decision:
I moved the meat.
I carefully relocated its frozen little home to the freezer at our brand-new office, where it will patiently wait until trash day like the world's least glamorous moving box.
And honestly?
That's estate planning in a nutshell.
People spend all their energy worrying about the million-dollar, high-level decisions.
Who gets the house, the kids, the car?
Who will be the trustee?
How do we avoid probate?
Those things matter.
But it's usually the forgotten beneficiary designation.
Estate planning isn't usually undone by the "big stuff." Most families remember to create a will or trust. The problems arise from the little things that get overlooked.
The property that never got transferred.
The account that no one remembered.
Or...the meat.
I guarantee you with all of the moving parts that Kristen and Andrew had when they left, not a single person thought about it.
I sure didn’t!
The smallest overlooked detail has an uncanny ability to become tomorrow's biggest headache.
An unsigned deed, an unfunded trust, or an outdated power of attorney may seem like a small oversight today, but it can become a costly problem when your family needs those documents most.
Fortunately, forgotten meat only creates a funny story.
I had a much needed laugh when I ceremoneously carried it in to the new office and disgusted our entire team.
Forgotten estate planning details can create years of unnecessary stress for the people you love.
This is exactly why we created our Client Care Program (CCP).
Estate planning isn't a "set it and forget it” act - life changes, laws change, assets change, and yes...sometimes we even change our minds.
Our CCP helps ensure your plan stays current through regular reviews, funding guidance, and ongoing support, so the little details don't become big problems for the people you love.
So here's to the little details! (and remembering to check the freezer before you hand over the keys.)
Amanda “It's the Little Things” Lynch Elliott
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