Seven Steps to Basic Estate PlanningInventory of your things, account for your family's needs, set your directives, review your beneficiaries, write down your state's estate tax laws, assess the value of professional help, plan reassessment. Our office has moved to 759 N. Milwaukee St. Your estate matters and the more you own, the more detail-oriented your plan should be.
Estate planning goes beyond the drafting of Comprehensive planning means accounting for all your assets and ensuring that they are transferred as smoothly as possible to the individuals or entities you want to receive them. In addition to implementing your plan, you need to make sure that others know and understand your wishes. Procrastination is the biggest enemy of estate planning. While none of us like to think about dying, improper or no planning can lead to family disputes, assets falling into the wrong hands, lengthy court litigation, and excess money paid in estate taxes.
So choose a time to start. To quote Benjamin Franklin: “If you don't prepare, you're preparing to fail. Forefront. Understanding the Fundamentals of Estate Planning.
Presentations Customer Objectives How We Can Help Review the Intake Form Educational Design Flat Rate Quote. estate planning is an essential decision of your life that involves your family, your finances, including taxable and non-taxable obligations; even the slightest mistake here can be disastrous. As you age, your needs may change, such as finding out if you need long-term care insurance and protecting your wealth from a large tax bill or lengthy court proceedings. Professionals will also be aware of changes in legislation and income tax laws, which could affect their legacies.
Also, be sure to find out if your state has inheritance and estate taxes that could also affect your estate; some states have a lower threshold amount than federal estate taxes. Estate planning is a smart move to ensure that your family and loved ones are safe and at the same time avoid them from unnecessary stress and headaches during an extremely difficult time. Estate planning is an ongoing process and should be started as soon as a person has a measurable asset base. When creating your estate plan, it is important that you submit the payee forms to your attorney to ensure that your estate plan covers all aspects of your assets.
It is wise to review your estate plan annually or during any major family event, such as birth, death, marriage, or divorce, to ensure that your documents continue to reflect your wishes and that your beneficiaries, designated health care representatives, and financial directives remain willing to take the paper when you're not around. It would also specifically address the care and income of children or family members with special needs that must be carefully planned to avoid jeopardizing eligibility for government benefits. When a person dies, the custodian of the will must bring the will to the probate court or executor named in the will within 30 days of the testator's death. A professional lawyer will analyze your family situation, guide you through the right steps, and help you navigate through the complex process of developing an estate plan.
We divide the estate planning process into steps, aimed at proper asset planning in a simple way. Estate planning doesn't have to be complicated, especially if you follow the 11-step estate planning checklist below to prepare your end-of-life documents. Be sure to review your estate plan and make changes to it when necessary to keep it up to date. .
