A large part of the job of being a lawyer is anticipating the worst case scenarios that clients can face in their lifetimes, and advising clients on the best ways to avoid or mitigate these risks.
While it may not sound like a pleasant mindset to have, it is sometimes a necessary part of the job to encourage clients to think about what could go wrong, especially when it comes to protecting the largest assets that they own.
For example, if you operate your own business, it would be considered unwise to own all of your assets in your personal name, and instead placing them in the ownership of a separate entity such as a limited liability company or a trust, which mitigates the risk of losing everything if the business goes south.
Most business clients would, at a minimum, put their family home in a separate trust, and ensure that the trust is not involved in any of the activities of the business, such as giving security to the bank for business loans.
A second example of protecting yourself is to think about what would happen in the event of a relationship breakdown with your significant other.