Estate Planning – Planning earlier rather than later
Most people don’t think about Estate Planning until some event triggers the fear of dying. It usually isn’t until then that they start thinking about getting their affairs in order. The triggers can be the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a new job, a divorce or just about any change. An estate plan is necessary if you want to leave a well organized plan for those who will administer your final wishes. Your plan should include a will/trust, funeral arrangements and specific plans for those who will administer your final wishes. Estate plans are living documents which need to be attended to as your life or wishes change. It should be continuously updated to reflect these changes. It is best to consult an attorney, who specializes in estate plans, to offer you advice and guide you through this journey, so that nothing gets missed or forgotten. It is also best to find an attorney who is likely to outlive you and still be practicing in order to carry out your plan in the way that you want and to follow the steps that are required. I had a client in his 80’s come to me to update his estate plan. I asked why he had come to me instead of the attorney who did his original estate plan. He said, ” Todd, you are young enough to be here when I am dead and all the people I know that were in this line of work are dead!” If you pay little to nothing for someone to do your estate plan, who is simply a scribe who fills in data on a screen, then you will get that level of commitment and service. Your documents may or may not be enough to carry the day when they are needed. It is part of my normal practice to be a part of the settling of the estate once my client passes away. I have been to many client funerals and assisted in the settling of remaining issues of estates for my clients. Call my office today to set up a free initial consultation on beginning your estate planning process or to set up a meeting to update your current estate plan- Todd Courser 810-245-0813.