COVER STORY
Stouffer Legal Estate Planning and Elder Law
The Power of Estate planning helped couple navigate an unexpected detour
J
ody and Charles Kloch loved to travel. They have been to 80 and 122 countries, respectively—many of them together. The adventurous couple was always looking forward to their next journey. But when an unexpected illness changed everything, the Klochs turned to Stouffer Legal, a firm in Towson, Md., that focuses its practice on estate planning and elder law. They went from planning their next trip to planning for the future—and quickly discovered the power of planning ahead.
A Good Plan
Stouffer Legal is an estate planning firm that focuses on helping Maryland families plan ahead before a crisis occurs. The firm is built on the belief that a sound estate plan can protect and preserve assets, minimize tax exposure, and enhance inheritance. They provide assistance with wills, trusts, medical directives and powers of attorney. An “education-first” firm, Stouffer Legal believes in the importance of
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educating clients. They offer free weekly seminars on estate planning. They also provide up-front pricing, fixed fees and no-cost consultations. Ultimately, the firm ensures that their clients are well informed, well protected and well represented. Stouffer Legal is also deeply committed to building client relationships—and that doesn’t just apply to the attorneys. “We work as a team, and I think that’s the number one reason that we work so well,” said Owner and Managing Partner Britt Stouffer. “This is a process, and we are really here to work together to guide clients through the entire process.”
Not in the Plan
“You know how sometimes a door just opens? It was like that,” Jody recalled of meeting her husband, Charles. A native of Los Angeles, Jody was an only child. After college, she became a teacher and was working at a junior high school in one of Ontario’s roughest neighborhoods. While she found her work reward-
ing, it was undeniably challenging. After her parents passed away in her early 30s, Jody decided it was time to focus on her love for travel. She packed her bags and left for China. It was there—half way around the world—that she met Baltimore native Charles and fell in love. “He was in China traveling too, and it really was providence,” Jody recalled. “I had been divorced for years, and I was never planning to get married again. 800-394-9990 | positiveagingsourcebook.com
