Everyone needs an estate plan, for their own peace of mind and for their loved ones.
The Huffington Post’s recent article confirms that “You Don’t Have to Own an Estate to Do Estate Planning!” As the article notes, estate planning concerns creating directions so your family understands what to do and when, if you’re not around to tell them.
More than money, an estate plan is about making sure your family is protected, making sure your wishes are executed and providing peace of mind for all.
The parts are very straightforward, but every plan is different. You need an advance directive that includes a living will. This document identifies the medical care you want to receive if you are unable to communicate and a medical power of attorney, which designates an individual to coordinate your wishes. Failing to do this could mean your care could be left to the interpretation of healthcare professionals and family members. You should also draft a financial power of attorney.
Work with an experienced estate planning attorney to help you create a plan that protects you, while maximizing your investment potential and minimizing your tax liability.
Here's another way to be sure your intentions are known by your family—an ethical will or legacy statement. An ethical will is different than your living will. In fact, it’s not really a will, but a statement that expresses your love, your hopes, your dreams and your wishes. It may be a letter or letters to individual people you love. You can also create a video or a scrapbook.
Think of your ethical will as a personal statement that contains important information about what you want to happen when you are gone. This may include advice for the guardians raising your children, wisdom that you want to share with nieces and nephews, or a statement of memories for loved ones. It can include subjects such as important life lessons you learned, in both good times and bad, and how you overcame and learned from the difficult life experiences every one of us faces.
Estate planning is about protecting your loved ones and creating a legacy. It has less to do with the value of your estate than you think!
Reference: Huffington Post (August 7, 2017) “You Don’t Have to Own an Estate to Do Estate Planning!”