Havlik’s estate planning efforts give her clients peace of mind

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Kristine Havlik has seen firsthand the relief on clients’ faces once they have completed putting together their estate plans.

“A lot of people do not want to talk about wills or trusts since it involves death, but once it is done there is a weight lifted off the shoulders knowing that everything is taken care of,” said Havlik, an attorney with Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee. “I enjoy the relationship I have developed with clients and that the work I am doing is making a difference in their lives.”

Once an estate plan is written, the work is not done, Havlik said. She needs to stay updated on tax rules and other law changes to make sure the plans are current.

“We want to make sure if there are any tax law changes that the plans drafted are still the most advantageous,” Havlik said. “Trusts are living documents. You don’t just put them on a shelf and let them sit. They need to be updated as needed.

“With estate plans there is strategy and planning involved regarding taxes as well as charitable giving. You want to put together the most advantageous plan for your client.”

Havlik’s estate planning work expands beyond her client base. After 9-11, a national non-profit organization called Wills for Heroes was formed to provide pro bono estate planning and also drafted wills for emergency first responders. Eight years ago, Foley & Lardner asked Havlik to direct the initiative in southeastern Wisconsin. The first clinic was held in 2009.

As part of her involvement, Havlik works with first responders, which includes police, fire and EMTs, who are interested in the free clinic. The next step is to find attorneys willing to give up their Saturdays to help.

“I love being able to use my specialized skills to give back to the community,” said Havlik, who has received several awards for her pro bono work with Wills for Heroes. “I love being involved in the pro bono work and appreciative that Foley is so supportive.”

During the clinics, the first responder and his or her spouse receive a basic will package, which includes the will, a trust, power of attorney and health care power of attorney.

Since Havlik began working with Wills for Heroes in 2009, 152 clinics have been held throughout Wisconsin, which equates to more than 2,500 estate plans.

“Those numbers add up and show the program is a difference-maker,” she said.

Wisconsin Law Journal: What makes your work important to you?
Kristine Havlik: In the practice of estates and trusts, your clients are individuals and you get to know them very well. Sometimes they tell you information that they don’t even tell their best friends. You celebrate with them when there are births or marriages in the family and you cry with them when there are deaths or divorces. So it’s my clients that make my work important to me. As the hub coordinator for the southeastern Wisconsin hub of Wills for Heroes I am able to take my skills as an estate planner and give back to my community. It’s knowing that I’m making a difference both with my clients and in my community that makes my work important.

WLJ: Who is your hero in the legal field?
Havlik: I would have to go with Robert F. Kennedy. During my senior year in high school I did a speech on him and one of his quotes still sticks with me today. It goes something like this: “Some men see things as they are and say why? I see things as they should be and say why not?”

WLJ: What do you do outside of work to deal with stress from the office?
Havlik: If I had a day all to myself to just relax I would curl up with a good book. Otherwise I try to decompress when I’m away from the office by spending time with my family and trying not to check my email too often!

WLJ: What’s one thing many people get wrong about what you do?
Havlik: Many people think that estate planning and estate and trust administration is all about wills and probate. However it is so much more than that. Most wills that I draft are simple pour-over wills. The real heart of the estate planning is done through trusts and other more complex estate planning techniques. Estate planning also involves a great deal of tax planning, on the estate and gift tax side, as well as the income tax side, which I don’t think many people realize. And probate, if there even is one, is such a small part of estate and trust administration. Estate and trust administration is so much more and includes advising the fiduciaries, marshaling and valuing the estate assets (some of which can be very complex), preparing and filing tax returns and carrying out the terms of the estate plan.

WLJ: What’s your favorite memory from law school?
Havlik: Getting engaged – my husband proposed to me during my law school graduation weekend.

WLJ: Is there a certain case that stands out to you?
Havlik: I don’t have cases; I have clients. Every time that I give my clients peace of mind knowing that their family will be provided for after their lifetimes (in a tax-efficient manner, of course) or when I file an estate tax return with the IRS, and the IRS agrees with the return as filed, I feel a sense of accomplishment.