Creating an estate plan, with the help of an experienced estate planning attorney, can help people gain clarity on larger issues, like who should inherit the family home, and small details, like what to do with the personal items that none of the children want. Until you go through the process of mapping out a plan, these questions can remain unanswered. However, according the East Idaho Business Journal, “Estate plans can help you answer questions about the future.”
Let’s look at some of these questions:
What will happen to my children when I die? You hope that you’ll live a long and happy life, and that you’ll get to see your children grow up and have families of their own. However, what if you don’t? A will is used to name a guardian to take care of your children, if their parents are not alive. Some people also use their wills to name a “conservator” and a trust to name a “trustee.” That’s the person who is responsible for the assets that any minor children might inherit.
Will my family fight over their inheritance? Without an estate plan, that’s a distinct possibility. Without a will or trust, the entire estate goes through probate, which is a public process. Relatives and creditors can both gain access to your records and could challenge your will. Many people use and “fund” revocable living trusts to place assets outside of the will and to avoid the probate process entirely.
Who will take care of my finances, if I’m too sick? Estate planning includes documents like a durable power of attorney, which allows a person you name (before becoming incapacitated) to take charge of your financial affairs. Speak with your estate planning attorney about also having a medical power of attorney. This lets someone else handle health care decisions on your behalf.
Should I be generous to charities, or leave all my assets to my family? That’s a very personal question. Unless you have significant wealth, chances are you will leave most of your assets to family members. However, giving to charity could be an important part of your legacy, whether you are giving a large or small amount. It may give your children a valuable lesson about what should happen to a lifetime of work and saving.
One way of giving, is to establish a charitable lead trust. This provides financial support to a charity (or charities) of choice for a period of time, with the remaining assets eventually going to family members. There is also the charitable remainder trust, which provides a steady stream of income for family members for a certain term of the trust. The remaining assets are then transferred to one or more charitable organizations.
Careful estate planning can help answer many worrisome questions. Just keep in mind that these are complex issues that are best addressed with the help of an experienced estate planning attorney.
Reference: East Idaho Business Journal (June 25, 2019) “Estate plans can help you answer questions about the future.”
