Nathan’s Story
In our last blog, we discussed the slightly unconventional path that our podcast host Mike Haslam took to becoming an estate planning attorney for Voyant Legal. In this blog, we delve into the story of Nathan Croxford, who discovered through his litigation experience that planning was the way he wanted to use his law degree and expertise to help people.
Law School and Early Career
Nathan Croxford attended law school at University of Utah and graduated in 2002. As many new lawyers do, Nathan went to work for a large law firm right after passing the Utah Bar Exam. Shortly thereafter, he made a switch to work for a small insurance defense firm. This means that if someone who was injured in an automobile accident hired a TV lawyer to represent them, Nathan’s firm would defend the insured individual or business.
One case 3-4 years into his career left an indelible mark on Nathan, shaping his decision to become a planning attorney. A driver from a small trucking company out of Texas was involved in a horrific semi-truck and motorcycle accident. The driver was killed on impact and his passenger was paralyzed and rendered a quadriplegic. You can hear more of the story by listening to the full podcast episode.
The short version is that because of poor business planning and practices, the trucking company ended up being held liable for a great deal of money and the plaintiff’s lawyers were able to come after the personal resources of the trucking company’s owners. Nathan knew there had to be a better way to protect individuals and businesses alike.
Becoming a Legacy Lawyer
Nathan found he wasn’t a fan of the adversarial process of being a litigation lawyer. He began looking for something different to do within the law. After five years in litigation, Nathan had the opportunity to switch gears and moved over to a planning firm. He found that helping people plan and protect their businesses and estates was a breath of fresh air. His litigation experience proved to be a valuable asset, allowing Nathan to prevent his clients from ending up in the courtroom.
Joining Voyant Legal
While working as a planning lawyer, Nathan realized that there had to be a better way to execute planning. Many times, the planning documents created by other lawyers were crossing his desk because the plans were never updated. This resulted in the estates ending up in probate, even with a valid will or trust. As Nathan reviewed those outdated plans, they were not that different from the plans created by his firm. These estate plans were not bad plans, but the circumstances of the family had changed since the plan’s creation and the documents were never updated to reflect those changes.
Nathan knew he had found something good when he discovered Mike’s new firm, Voyant Legal. Unlike other firms, Voyant Legal has a client focused business model that includes helping clients understand their documents and updating those documents over time. If three to four years go by and they haven’t heard from one of their clients, the firm will follow up with them, insead of the client having to always take the initiative and reach out to the firm. Nathan has been with Voyant Legal for over seven years and feels that he has found his calling and is truly helping people protect their businesses and legacies.
To listen to our full podcast about Nathan’s Story, click here.