Alan R. Stewart - Attorney at Law
Feb 09, 2022 09:59AM ● By Peri KinderMost people are unprepared for death. When faced with mortality, many people shirk from processes that could save loved ones lots of time and effort.
Attorney Alan R. Stewart has made it his mission to help families prepare for death, not just with creating wills or trusts, but with devising a plan to help each person have peace of mind in the event of death or hospitalization.
“People should do it now to avoid the emergency,” he says. “Doing it now can avoid a lot of problems when someone dies and suddenly the family is scrambling to find paperwork. Who can take over paying your bills and taking care of things if you’re incapacitated? Who has access to your bank account?”
Although Stewart graduated from the University of Utah with a business degree, he didn’t find job opportunities that fit with his vision of service. So he went back to school and earned a law degree from the University of Idaho, with the desire to make things better for his clients.
He opened a law office near the Cottonwood Mall in 1986 but moved to Murray five years ago, where his practice is located at 5965 S 900 East #350. His work is focused on estate and probate planning, family law, wills and trusts, and divorce issues.
“It is a way to be of service to people,” Stewart says. “Making money isn’t the satisfaction. The idea of being a help to people and being able to problem-solve is better than any financial reward.”
With so many people hospitalized with COVID-19, and other serious illnesses or injuries, Stewart encourages his clients to create a power of attorney for their finances, and a healthcare power of attorney to make decisions regarding end-of-life care.
“Lots of people are getting hospitalized without making plans,” he says. “It’s not just getting documents in order, it’s having a central location for all that information to save your spouse or children a ton of headaches when you die.”
He also tells clients to start their own obituary, including things like relatives names, birthplace and other vital statistics that can be hard for family to find when they’re already going through a difficult time. A couple years of tax returns, bank account information, financial documents, passwords and any pre-paid funeral planning should be gathered in one place with instructions on who can access that information.
A native of Murray, Stewart likes the central location of his office, with easy access from the freeway. He loves the small-town feel of the city, with its community pride and heritage. He values relationships and the connections he’s made with clients over the years.
Stewart is the father of five children, and grandfather to several grandchildren. He enjoys golf, boating and sports, and is passionate about providing the best legal services to meet the needs of his clients.
“I’ve been doing this long enough and I know all the ins and outs of estate planning. I have the professional experience and I’m a smaller firm that offers the personal touch, which gives a client a much fairer rate.”
Visit ARStewart.com for more information.