How does anyone know if they need estate planning?

It’s simple, every adult needs estate planning. The question is what kind? Estate planning is not about how much money you have, it’s about protecting what you have for you during your life and for those you love after you are gone. It ensures what you have, gets to the people you love, when you want, the way you want.

Most confusion in estate planning comes from knowing where to get it? Many people tell us that they have already done it with their financial advisor, banker, or CPA. There are two aspects to estate planning, legal and financial. Financial advisors, bankers, CPAs, and other financial professionals can assist you with the management and growth of your assets and avoidance of taxes, but they cannot assist you with the legal work necessary for estate planning.

Proper legal estate planning ensures the necessary legal documents are in place to keep you in control of your assets as long as you are able and when you are not, to put people you trust in control, with sufficient instructions, to guide them on how to use those assets for your benefit or the benefits of the people you love. In addition, a proper estate plan will not only identify who’s in control and who benefits, but when. Upon your disability you will want to ensure your loved ones are provided for and your needs are met as well. Upon your death you’ll be able to again identify who gets the benefits and who gets to control those assets. After your death it is much more cumbersome because other parties, i.e. new spouses, or predators or creditors can attempt to go after your money.

There are also various taxing strategies that can be included in your legal estate plan to minimize or avoid taxes. Only a lawyer can do this! You can even provide instructions for your children to inherit in a manner with full use and access without being accessible to their spouses in divorce, nursing homes, lawsuits, or other predators.

So whether you have $40,000.00 or $400,000.00 you have worked hard for it. Legal estate planning will ensure it is there for you until you no longer need it and to make sure it gets to those you love when you are done with it.