There is nothing more important than your family. You may spend your days working hard to provide for them, cooking for them, helping them with homework, or shuttling them around to sports programs, all while constantly showering them with love and support. But have you prepared for what would happen to them in your absence? Who would do everything you do?
We spend so much time taking care of our family day to day, that we often forget to plan for a future in which we may not be around. There is no doubt that this is a hard topic to talk about, let alone think about, but there is nothing easy about being a parent. Sometimes it’s the hardest things we do that make the biggest impact and difference.
Guardianship:
Have you chosen guardians for your minor children? Do they live near by?
Many people don’t think about the short term lapses of time if their
guardians live out of state or out of the country. Who will be with your
kids while these guardians are contacted and travel to get to them? We
advise every parent of minors to pick three temporary guardians who live
within 20 minutes of their home in these scenarios, to prevent child service
agencies from getting involved in the interim. We also arrange for ID
cards to be in your wallet and with your caregivers, so that all your
documents are accessible when needed.
Incapacity:
What would happen if you became incapacitated? Who would make your medical
decisions? Who would take care of your finances? If you have not chosen
someone to do these things for you, it’s in the Court’s hands.
Take these matters back into your own hands by sitting down with an estate
planner today.
Probate avoidance:
It’s vital that your family can receive what you have left them,
without the additional stress of probate costs and taxes, attorney’s
fees and delays due to the probate court schedule. By planning your estate
now, you can help your family avoid these additional costs and receive
what you have left them immediately.
Creditors:
What’s the point of putting things aside to leave our loved ones
if creditors will be given our assets by the probate court when we die?
Creating a trust based estate plan is the only way to ensure that your
family will receive what you intended and to know that nothing with be
distributed to your creditors before them.
