Stan Miller
By 2021, Stan Miller had forty years of experience as an estate planning attorney. He also had co-founded WealthCounsel, the most successful provider of education and technology to over 15,000 estate planning attorneys in the United States. When WealthCounsel was acquired by LEAP Legal Software in December of 2021, Stan could have made an effortless exit from the field, retiring with a stellar reputation and the distinction of having served more than 10,000 clients over his career. Instead, he decided to follow his passion and move in the opposite direction—and become a more visible advocate for his distinctive approach to legacy-focused estate planning. He rebranded his law firm from Stan Miller Law to Pinnacle Legacy Law, PLLC, and brought in new talent to help him build on the unwavering commitment to provide very personal, gold-star service to the firm’s expanding client base. Stan shares, “I changed the company name to be inclusive of our entire team, not focus on myself. This team philosophy was at the core of what I wanted to accomplish with this firm—I wanted to continue doing what I love, but also share my experience and knowledge so that the firm could not only be more effective in serving our lifelong, loyal clients—but become an anchor resource for our client families for generations.”
Pinnacle Legacy Law, PLLC, based in Little Rock, Arkansas, brings a unique approach to estate and trust planning. It fuses the traditional planning tools that provide solid legal, tax, and financial planning with an innovative strategy that goes deeper into the client’s values and life experience to offer solutions that protect their non-financial wealth—their histories, their stories, their faith and values. “The work we do is not transactional. We work hard to create a ‘lawyer-for-life’ relationship with our clients,” Stan adds.
We spoke with Stan to learn more about his business model, his responsibilities, and how Pinnacle Legacy Law differentiates itself from other estate planning firms.
Stan, can you tell us a bit about your specific role in the firm?
I wear two hats at my firm—I am an estate planning attorney, and in that capacity, I work with clients to create estate plans that help them save taxes, protect their wealth, and leave a legacy that lasts for generations. I am also the firm’s leader and as its CEO, I work to inspire our team to express our unique vision in every client encounter by listening, caring, and then crafting solutions that reflect real excellence.
How is Pinnacle Legacy Law different from other legacy planning firms, and how does this benefit your clients?
Traditional estate planning laws firms focus on saving taxes, avoiding probate, and providing legal solutions only. We do all of that very well, but we also incorporate this legacy dimension that’s game- changing. We have the world’s first law firm legacy director, and she walks every client through our process and provides them with a portfolio that outlines a variety of categories—history, values, generosity, philanthropy, books, movies, traditions, etcetera. This comprehensive agenda allows the client the opportunity to select the solutions that most appeal to them. Then we put all our focus on the clients’ selections. Trustee letters are a great example. Trustees find these letters incredibly helpful when making distribution decisions. Sometimes, it may mean that the trustee will refuse to make a distribution if they believe the money would undermine a beneficiary’s work ethic or enable destructive behavior patterns.
What do you enjoy most about your work? What drives you?
We get to hear our clients’ stories, how they started their business on a credit card and skipped meals to make payroll. Now, many of them are wealthy, but still remember the early challenges. We get to document all that history, so their children and grandchildren don’t forget where they came from. It’s definitely satisfying. Sometimes it’s intense. I am blessed to be able to connect with clients. They often provide inspiration that makes me a better person.
Stan received his law degree from Vanderbilt University and his undergraduate degree in history and political science from Arkansas Tech University. He served as a special justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court and is an original co-founder of WealthCounsel, which grew to 15,000 attorney members and revolutionized the practice of estate planning in the United States. Stan has just launched a new podcast called, Your Life.Your Legacy: Create a Life That Matters & Inspire Generations.
Contact:
Stan Miller
CEO, Managing Principal, Founder
Pinnacle Legacy Law, PLLC
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