It’s hard to bring ourselves to do something we know is important, but that we don’t know how to go about doing, and it feels like we should. I envision someone at the breakfast table, coffee in hand, contemplating the day. “I really need to get this done. I can’t believe I haven’t done anything […]
Archive | Estate Planning
What if Estate Planning = Self-Care?
Every single adult is entitled to these basic legal protections we call estate planning. You’ve heard me ‘rant’ more than once that we need a different way to think about and talk about estate planning. And while I don’t have different vocabulary yet, I can definitely suggest lots of different ways to think about it.
What if We’re Thinking About This All Wrong?
What if I told you that you’re thinking about estate planning the wrong way? What if I told you that estate planning is NOT a task to dread doing, to be put off, or something ‘other people’ need? What if, instead, that first legal consult and document prep fell into the same category as being able […]
If Price is Your First Question
Sometimes you suspect someone might not be the right fit for a business relationship. There are a number of red flags I watch for when I hear from someone out of the blue. For me, an emphasis on or preoccupation with ‘price’ is one of them. Which gives me permission to be direct with the […]
Why We Procrastinate
Imagine you finally did it. Imagine you connected with our office and got the ball rolling to get your estate planning done. You thought it was going to be hard and you did it anyway. You made good decisions, and did all the right things. And then, like every client we work with, you got […]
On it Like White on Rice
Have you heard about our Plan Preservation Program? How about the expression “we’re on it like white on rice”? Sounds like I may need to elaborate… Estate planning is not ‘One and Done.’ It’s not something you get to check off your task list for good.
Right Plan for Right Now… and Later
Routine changes and updates to our laws are only one reason you should be reviewing your estate plans regularly with your attorney. There are numerous ways an estate plan can fail without regular ‘maintenance’ checks:
The Terrible Surprise of an Empty Trust
You do the grown-up thing. You get to your attorney and work out your estate plan. You decide it makes sense to create a trust (here’s a quick review of the difference between a WILL and a TRUST…). You sign all the documents. Your attorney gives you a shiny, leather-like binder, makes you promise to […]
Make Sure Your Will is Not ‘Mad-Libbed’
The proliferation of online estate planning tools may give you the sense that your will consists of a whole list of blank spaces, into which your attorney inserts names of your choosing, and out spew your legal documents. Like a fancy, binding game of Mad Libs. The reality is – your will, and the process […]
Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Creating Your Estate Plan
There are a few very important roles to fill, and you can learn more about them in this quick how-to guide, Finally Get Your Will Done. But in this article, I want to talk about how to pick your team, and the common places people get stuck in the process. The most common Get-Stuck point […]