Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adela Iturregui. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Adela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

I love this question, thank you for bringing this up. You are correct, small businesses can do things that corporate america cannot do because there is no “red tape”, or, in the case of my profession, I don’t have to meet certain hours a year, or bill x amount a month. At ABC, we pride ourselves on quality of service. In the estate planning world, most large law firms will create a plan for you after a 30 minute phone call. We are very different. Our first meeting is a 2-hour meeting in which we go over all of your assets and family dynamics, your wishes and dreams, and I will educate you on your choices when it comes to estate planning. That way, you are making educated decisions for your future and that of your family. We will also work with you to make sure your trust, if you have created one, is properly and fully funded. I have seen countless times people who pay a lot of money for a trust, and their family ends up in court and conflict because their trust was not funded. This happens when the attorney gives you your documents on your signing date, and does not follow up. We do it differently. We have a three meeting system, and by the last meeting, when you get your documents, you will have your trust fully funded. And then, we will follow up with you at least every three years. Why? Because our lives change, laws change, our assets change, our circumstances change. Our goal is to ensure that your plan works when it needs to work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Absolutely! I grew up in Puerto Rico and came to the US during my college years. Yes, I am fluent in both English and Spanish. After graduating law school, I started working in corporate America – I handled big cases for Fortune 500 companies. In 2009, my first daughter was born, Alexandra. That year, my dad passed away. Fast forward to this year, and on October 10, it was the 14th anniversary of my dad’s passing. My family has been dealing with my dad’s probate since 2009. We have seen it all, from lawsuits, bankruptcies, creditors, IRS issues, shutting down his business, you name it! If it can be there, we have seen it. And the crazy part is that my dad had a will. It was just old and had not been updated in years. And not only was it not updated, it did not keep us out of court, because a will never does. During that time, I started researching a lot into the world of estate planning and that is how I realized I could make a difference in my community and use my legal skills and experience to serve families in my state. That is how ABC Estate and Legacy Planning, my law firm, came to be. By the way, ABC are the initials of my kids (in order), Alexandra, Benjamin, and Caroline. And it is that way because they are my reason. I would never want them to go through what I have gone through in my dad’s estate, or any child of any of my clients, for that matter. And that’s how I came to start my law firm, why I practice the way I do, and why I named it ABC!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I think I have a big advantage in my field because I am a native Spanish speaker. There are just few of us here in GA, and even less that specialize in estate and business planning. My clients come mostly from referrals, word of mouth, through networking (a lot of networking), and getting out in the community to educate. I host seminars in various communities. Knowledge is power, and most people have little to no knowledge of what estate planning really is and why you need one. Just like I educate my client’s when they sit with my for that first 2-hour meeting, I try to educate the community. Truth be told, when I have clients that come after one of my presentations, they come better prepared and with great questions. So it makes my life easier!

Any advice for managing a team?

I have three staff members. I adore them! I like to compare my business to a three legged barstool; if one leg breaks or is missing, the stool cannot stand. I set clear expectations for my team members, we have weekly, if not daily meetings to see how everyone is coming along, I address issues straight up and thank you’s and “great job” are freely and frequently heard around the office. Growing a business is impossible without the right people. My staff needs to be able to be efficient and independent. So I encourage both. If they need something to be more efficient, and it is a reasonable request, we will acquire it. One of my staff is my 12-year old son. He knows that he needs to report to another of my staff members who in turn reports to me. This encourages independence while fostering teamwork, and develops a sense of ownership and responsibility within my office.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.abcestateplanning.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abcestateplanning/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abcestateplanning
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelaiturregui-jd-cepa/