Bar Admissions
South Carolina, 2001
Education
J.D. - WVU College of Law, 2001
B.A. - West Virginia State University, 1995
That is how I initially came to the path of being an estate planning lawyer. I want to encourage you to do this important work now instead of putting it off because you might run out of time. I want you to think about what happens to your kids and the property they will inherit after you are gone so you can identify potential issues and do something about them now. I want you to ensure that your loved ones do not have to worry about what you would have wanted because they will already have your instructions. I want to help you alleviate the burden on you and your family. We do that by coming up with an estate plan together and putting it in writing. I am so thankful for the opportunity to help my clients accomplish this important work. Even though it is hard to think and talk about sickness and death, you do it because you love yourself and your family. You do it because you want to alleviate their suffering during some of the worst days of their lives.
K.C. Mangus
Attorney at Law
I was not always happy practicing law. For twenty years, I watched bad things happen to good people. The system was increasingly stacked against my clients and it weighed heavy on my heart. I considered quitting. But I still felt called to help people, to use my skills as a lawyer to alleviate suffering, and to bring my clients peace in any way I could. And then I lost someone I loved very much and found my way to estate planning.
Why I Do What I Do
Meet my sister-in-law Diane. She was one of the kindest people I have ever known. She adored my children and they adored her. We had lunch often and had many great conversations. She was one of my best friends.
She struggled with heart problems for many years and needed to have surgery. Given her medical conditions, we were worried. She had the surgery and suffered a complication. It took her many days to awaken from the anesthesia. She needed assistance breathing and ultimately had a tracheostomy. Even though she was never able to breathe on her own again or even speak, her brain was still sharp. She wrote on a small whiteboard what she wanted to be done if she died.
Even though getting an estate plan was on her list of things to do for many years, life just got away from her. When it was clear that she was continuing to decline, she wanted to get her affairs in order. I rushed to draft a general durable power of attorney and her advance health care directives and have her sign them so her agent could direct her medical care and speak with the hospitals and health insurance companies. There was no time to draft a will. She passed away after being transferred to an out-of-state medical facility. I was not with her when she died. Those were some of the hardest days of my life, and I am still heartbroken that she is gone.
