Plan-et Janet

The older I get, the more I find myself planning to the point of obsession. For example, I have discovered that if I spend the time in the shower deciding what I’m going to wear that day, I can save myself a couple of minutes of time standing in front of the wardrobe. This can translate into a few more minutes in bed! Of course, even the best laid plans can fall apart, such as if I’ve forgotten that the shoes I decided to wear are still at the repair shop. Mind you, that’s the price you pay, not just for wearing stilettos, but using them to tread on someone’s foot who made the mistake of trying to touch you inappropriately on the train. It was worth it!

I doubt I’m alone on the planning front. The higher up the ladder we seem to climb, the more organised, methodical and strategic we need to be. Not just in terms of our wardrobe, but everything. When I’m interviewing potential new staff, I’m often asked where I think I’ll be in five years time. The honest answer is that I don’t know, but you can be certain that I’ve planned for a number of different scenarios.

Whilst we cannot plan for everything, from broken shoes to unexpected lockdowns, there are some things in life that we can prepare for.

We can have shareholder agreements or Joint Venture agreements with those we are in business with, not just to cover what happens if we fall out, but to cover what happens if one of the parties becomes incapacitated, goes bankrupt, passes away or gets divorced.

We can have wills and powers of attorney so that our family and business associates are not left in the lurch if we are sick or die.

We can have cohabitation agreements or pre nuptial agreements with our significant other so that if something goes wrong between us, we both know where we stand.

And we can make sure we have employment contracts with our staff, and terms of business agreed with our clients and suppliers.

Kleyman & Co Solicitors. The full services law firm. Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.