New Years Resolution: Get an Estate Plan

Something like seventy percent of the people in the United States die without a will. It’s call “intestacy”, and if you want your family to waste a whole lot of money and time after you die, that’s the estate plan for you. A I tell the people who attend my estate planning seminars in Southern California, it is a parent’s ultimate revenge on an ungrateful child! I find, however, that most of my clients love their spouse, children and grandchildren, and want to make things as easy as possible on them should they become incapacitated or die. So if you want to do something positive for your family and loved ones this year, make it a point to meet with an estate planning attorney to review your current plan. A good estate planning lawyer will review your current estate plan (either the one you had drafted or the one the state drafted for you), discuss your family situation with you, and identify all your estate planning goals. If your current plan is doing the job for you, the attorney will tell you. If it is not, then the attorney should be able to design a plan that will accomplish all your goals and quote you a fee. You will find it surprisingly affordable, especially when compared to the ultimate cost of doing nothing.Most lawyers, like me don’t charge for an initial consult. So put this resolution right at the top this year.