Estate Planning Lawyers

What Is Estate Planning?

Estate planning generally involves documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. Its goals are to make your wishes clear, reduce confusion for family members, and address questions like who can make decisions if you become unable to do so. Estate planning is not only for wealthy people — most adults benefit from at least a basic set of documents. Requirements for a valid will or trust vary by state.

More Than a Will

People often use “estate planning” to mean “writing a will,” but a complete plan usually addresses incapacity as well as death. Powers of attorney and health care directives answer the question: who makes decisions if I cannot? Those documents can matter just as much as — or more than — the will itself.

Keep Documents Findable

A plan only works if the right people can find it when needed. Many families run into trouble not because documents were never created, but because no one knew where they were. Consider telling a trusted person where your documents are kept, without necessarily sharing their contents before you are ready.

Common Issues This May Cover

When Someone May Consider Legal Help

Every situation is different. In general, people tend to explore legal help around this topic when facing circumstances like these:

• You have never created a will, trust, or advance directive
• Your existing documents are many years old or predate major life changes
• You want to name who will make health care or financial decisions for you
• You have concerns about how a loved one with a disability will be provided for
• You own property in more than one state
• Family conflict over an estate seems possible

If any of these sound familiar, you may want to consider speaking with a qualified legal professional licensed in your state.

Questions to Ask a Legal Professional

If you decide to speak with a legal professional, these questions can help you make the most of the conversation:

1. Which estate planning documents do I actually need for my situation?
2. Are you licensed in my state, and how do you charge for this work?
3. How often should I review and update my documents?
4. What happens if I move to a different state?
5. How should beneficiary designations coordinate with my will or trust?
6. What should I tell my family about where these documents are kept?