Most people think estate planning is something they can put off—but the real risk isn’t what happens after death, it’s what happens if you’re unable to make decisions tomorrow. In this episode of An Ounce of Prevention, Miguel Otero, Junior Associate at R. Reese & Associates, explains why estate planning is ultimately about control: who can act on your behalf, how decisions are made, and whether your wishes are followed when it matters most.

Miguel breaks down the core components of an effective estate plan, including trusts, powers of attorney, and medical directives, and explains how these tools work together to avoid court involvement, reduce delays, and protect your family from unnecessary stress. He also challenges the idea that estate planning is only for high-net-worth individuals, emphasizing that anyone with assets, responsibilities, or dependents benefits from having a plan in place.

The episode also includes a case law update on Heppner v. United States, where the court held that communications with a publicly available AI platform are not protected by attorney- client privilege. Because AI tools are not attorneys and do not provide confidential relationships, relying on them for legal strategy can create significant risk. The takeaway is clear: legal protection comes from working with counsel, not from interacting with a machine.

If you want to reduce uncertainty, protect your family, and ensure your decisions are carried out as intended, this episode provides a clear framework for why estate planning should be addressed sooner rather than later.

Time Stamps / Chapters
00:00 — Why estate planning isn’t about death
00:17 — Intro
00:43 — Host introduction and case law update setup
00:54 — Heppner v. United States: case overview and AI privilege dispute
02:29 — Why privilege and work product protections did not apply
05:14 — Introduction to estate planning fundamentals
05:36 — Core estate planning documents explained
06:01 — The role of trusts in estate planning
06:21 — Types of trusts: revocable, testamentary, irrevocable, special needs
07:03 — The real risk: incapacity, not just death
07:38 — RR&A: Expanding Beyond Oil & Gas
09:11 — What happens when there is no estate plan
09:47 — Probate, delays, and public exposure of assets
10:13 — Emotional and financial impact on families
10:42 — Final takeaway: intentional decisions vs default outcomes
11:04 — Closing remarks

Title examination may happen behind the scenes, but it plays a critical role in protecting ownership, validating mineral interests, and preventing costly issues before they arise. In this episode of An Ounce of Prevention, guest host Kaysha Spoon, Associate at R. Reese & Associates, explains how the firm delivers title opinions that go beyond accuracy to become practical, decision-making tools for clients. She walks through how RR&A implements strict quality control checks to eliminate rounding errors and verify decimal interest (DOI) calculations, while also closely analyzing oil and gas leases for overlooked requirements such as pooling provisions and unit declarations, and identifying both title defects and curative issues, clearly distinguishing between high-risk defects that impact ownership and operations and lower-risk issues that may not require immediate action.

Kaysha also explains how proactive communication during the title examination process allows clients to begin curative work earlier, and how visual chain of title flowcharts creates transparency in ownership calculations. She discusses how RR&A improves efficiency by resolving issues quickly to reduce costs, while offering flexible formats, including dynamic Excel-based title opinions that allow teams to track curative requirements, prioritize risk, and integrate title work directly into their operational workflow.

In addition, the episode includes a caselaw update on Buyers Peak Properties v. Buyers Peak Land and Cattle, LLC, a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision clarifying that Colorado’s statutory waste of water provisions cannot be enforced by private landowners and that related trespass and nuisance claims may not survive if the statutory theory fails, highlighting important considerations for landowners dealing with irrigation disputes.

Overall, this episode demonstrates how RR&A’s thoughtful, modern approach to oil and gas title examination protects client assets, streamlines operations, and delivers actionable, practical value beyond the final opinion. Listen to this episode and you’ll see why RR&A is the title firm clients trust to get it right, every time.

Time Stamps / Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the podcast

00:25 Host intro

00:37 Colorado water law case overview

01:07 Ranch dispute and irrigation conflict

01:31 Lawsuit, claims, and water court ruling

02:05 Supreme Court issue: standing & private rights

02:32 Why the statute cannot be privately enforced

02:55 Why flooding claims don’t qualify under statute

03:21 Jurisdiction shift and dismissal of claims

03:46 Why this case matters for landowners

03:56 Transition to title examination discussion

04:14 Preventing errors in title work

05:06 High-risk vs low-risk title defects

06:06 Making title opinions practical and usable

07:16 Efficiency and client-focused workflows

07:34 Closing remarks on title examination importance

07:42 Firm overview and services

09:14 Legal disclaimer

09:27 Outro and contact info