Faculty Profile: Randall Ratliff Jr.

Attorney Randall A. Ratliff is the founder of the Randy Ratliff Law Offices, PLLC, in Brentwood, Tennessee. He is licensed to practice law in both Kentucky and Tennessee, holds a master's degree in International Political Economy from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, and holds a bachelor's degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College in Owensboro, Kentucky. Since graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2000, Mr. Ratliff has practiced law in several settings, including acting as general counsel to a mid-sized national firm, a tech start up, and a foster care agency. In 2011, he founded his own firm, where he practices as a Nashville estate planning lawyer. His goal is to serve as a trusted counselor and adviser to his clients, rather than viewing legal work as a series of endless, impersonal transactions.

Attorney Ratliff understands that most people - even the wealthy - have a certain degree of anxiety about putting their affairs in order. Facing the possibility of one's own mortality or long-term disability is difficult. Still, it must be done if one's wishes are to be made known and one's assets are to be as fully protected as possible under the law. Failing to make an estate plan may lead to many unfortunate consequences. The law of intestate succession (the statutory framework for passing down the property of people who die without a will) is very impersonal and based on assumptions that, for many people, are not accurate.

Randy Ratliff's focus is on educating his clients about what will happen in the absence of an appropriate estate or business succession plan, followed by discussing the client's preferences with regard to issues such as the passing down of property, the management or ownership succession of a small business, and the protection of assets. For example, he can prepare a Last Will and Testament to direct the manner in which a client's real estate holdings and personal property are to be distributed among a current spouse and children from a former marriage.

Mr. Ratliff's office offers frequent workshops on ways that a family may protect certain assets through documents such as a revocable or irrevocable trust. The reality is that many of us will require some degree of expensive, long-term care in our old age. It is best to plan ahead for such a possibility, maximizing one's eligibility for benefits under government programs when possible. Otherwise, a senior's spouse may suffer great financial hardship and possibly even be forced into bankruptcy by overwhelming medical costs. A strong elder care or estate plan may also include directives such as a general power of attorney, a living will, and a durable power of attorney for health care. In these documents, wishes concerning life support and other extraordinary life-extending care options may be made known, so there are no questions later by family members.

Nashville estate planning attorney Randy Ratliff has extensive experience in all aspects of general litigation. He knows that, when proper planning is not done, lengthy, expensive court battles are not unusual, with the courts stepping in to make difficult decisions in documents that may become public record. Nobody wants this to happen. To schedule an appointment with an elder law attorney or seek guidance regarding an estate planning matter, contact the Randy Ratliff Law Offices, PLLC, online or at 615-656-8282. Attorney Ratliff assists residents of Davidson and Williamson Counties, including people in Antioch, Hermitage, Madison, Goodlettsville, Joelton, Franklin, Brentwood, and Cool Springs.

He also serves as Chairman of the Board of This I Believe, Inc., a non-profit devoted to engaging youth and adults from all walks of life in writing, sharing, and discussing brief essays about the core values that guide their daily lives. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Louisville Committee on Foreign Relations. As a long-time songwriter, he loves the arts and knows the Nashville area well. His latest venture is as a Co-Producer of the award-winning film Nefertiti's Daughters. Attorney Ratliff's wife, Beth, is a pioneering health care executive with Premise Health. They have two beautiful daughters and welcomed their first grandchild in 2016. Among his many blessings, Randy counts a wonderful family and a host of friends.