[?] Subscribe To
This Site

Organize Your Estate Plan.

Prepare an estate plan. Don't leave your family in a lurch should the unthinkable occur.

When you lose a loved one it is hard enough to deal with the pain of your loss, but when you add in the stress of having to sort through their estate in the midst of your grief, it can be too much for many people to handle.

Difficult as it may be, creating an estate plan is one of the most generous and loving things you can do for your family.

Your estate consists of all of your cash, bank accounts, material possessions, insurance policies and any property or assets of any kind that you own at the time of your death.

Your estate plan is where you set forth your directions regarding the distribution of your estate after your death.

Creating an estate plan is a very personal decision and you should educate yourself about the various options available to you. Determine what is best for you and your individual situation.

There are a few documents which are common to most estate plans, they include:

Last Will and Testament

Your Last Will and Testament is the document where you will indicate how you would like your estate to be distributed. This is also the document where you will establish guardianship for your minor children.

Durable Power of Attorney

A Durable Power of Attorney is a document that gives you the opportunity to designate a person of your choice to handle your affairs should you become incapacitated.

Health Care Directive

A Health Care Directive gives you the opportunity to designate a person of your choice to make any health care decisions for you should you become unable to make those decisions for yourself. This is also where you would set forth your specific wishes as to what kinds of life-saving measures you would prefer and/or not prefer.

Living Trust

You can also establish a Trust which is a little more complicated and varies depending upon the assets you own and what you want to happen to them after your death.

Most estate planning professionals will tell you that a Trust is the safest way to ensure that your assets get disbursed according to your specific instructions, with the least amount of complication for your surviving family members.

You should always consult with a local attorney who can assist you in tailoring an estate plan to your specific needs and which meets all necessary legal requirements.

Click here for a link to a lawyer locator to find an attorney near you.

Funeral Arrangements

It is also a good idea to plan for your funeral and burial or cremation.

These decisions can be some of the most difficult for the surviving family member to make. Here are some things you can do:

Decide whether you want to be cremated or buried.
Choose and pre-pay for your casket or urn
Purchase your burial plot and headstone
Choose the funeral home you would like to use and pre-pay for the services

The more decisions you make now, the fewer decisions your loved ones will have to make in a time of despair.

Make your wishes known. Plan ahead and make a difficult time a little easier for your family.

Return from Estate Plan to Organize Life

footer for estate plan page