When people are asked about estate planning, they immediately feel that it is a topic that is only relevant to the super wealthy. The truth is that every single person has an estate, and you need to take steps to protect that estate and your loved ones. Without estate planning, you could be leaving the future of your family in the hands of complete strangers, and that is something everyone would like to avoid.
Another misconception about estate planning is that it is something you do once and then it only gets used after you pass away. The sooner you start estate planning, the better prepared you will be to handle life events and care for your family. Your life is extremely dynamic, and you need to monitor your estate planning to make sure that it is adequate for your needs. But why does everyone need estate planning? There are some very good reasons why you should make an appointment to see an estate planning specialist as soon as possible.
A family is made up of loving people and long-standing traditions. If you do not protect those traditions and the personal values you have built up throughout your life, then they made fade away after you are gone. Estate planning not only helps you to dictate who gets your possessions, but it also helps you to sustain your family values after you have passed on.
If you become disabled in any way at some point in your life, then you could lose your ability to decide your own care. With estate planning, you can put together a living will and also create instructions that will speak for you when you have lost the ability to communicate.
If you have children with special needs, then they may be getting support from the government that is critical to their daily lives. With estate planning, you can provide for additional support to your special needs children without disrupting any government support.
If you own a business or are partners with other business owners, then you will want to put together plans that will allow you to retire and still satisfy your legal obligation to the company. Estate planning can also help your family to take care of business issues if you become disabled or pass away.
With estate planning, you can set up life insurance policies to help financially care for your family after you pass away, you can set up disability insurance to give yourself an income if you become disabled, and long-term care insurance that will cover any medical care you may need due to illness or injury.
Estate planning allows you to put together funds that will take care of any debts you have after you pass away, cover any funeral expenses, and provide for legal fees in the event that your death triggers an unexpected lawsuit. All of this will protect your family from financial disaster after you have passed away.
Without proper estate planning, you are exposing yourself and your family to the possibility of unnecessary financial hardships. Estate planning is for anyone who wants to live life with peace of mind, and who wants to be able to care for their family no matter what may happen.
