Most of us take time to make plans every day. We plan our grocery list or which parent will pick-up the children from school. The measures we take to make everyday life easier can be applied to estate planning as well. Below are a few common sense tips that should be applied to your estate plan:
- Don’t procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute (or until it is too late) can be more costly and stressful. Pre-planning can also help insure that you will get the results you want. Certain areas of estate planning (like Medicaid, retirement, and long term care) should begin years before you think you will need it.
- Organization is worth the effort. We all know that having a shopping list makes it much easier and quicker to get everything you need from the store. With estate planning, putting forethought into what you want to accomplish with your plan can help your attorney achieve your goals more efficiently.
- Sometimes you get what you pay for. When you hire an attorney to handle your estate plan, don’t make the mistake of getting a “bargain” on a plan that won’t stand the test of time. Make sure the lawyer is experienced and knowledgeable in the area of estate planning.
- Understand you may not please everyone. You may not please all your heirs in your estate plan, but it is your assets and wealth being distributed, so it is your right to do as you wish in your plan.
Take the time to work on your estate plan now. The more forethought and pre-planning that occurs, the likely your estate plan will be a success! Contact The Curran Law Firm today to get started on your estate plan.
