Note: This is the second article in Beach Cities Estate Law’s educational series aimed at the over 2/3 of American adults who do not have an estate plan. If you currently have an up-to-date estate plan, consider “paying it forward” by passing this article along to a friend, family member, colleague, or client.

No one likes to think about death, or what might happen to you if you were to become physically or mentally disabled.  

The reality is though, that unless you think about and prepare for these unpleasant possibilities, they could be even worse than they would otherwise be!   

We understand that creating an estate plan can seem quite daunting. To help you get started, Beach Cities Estate Law’s educational series breaks the estate planning process down into simple, easy-to-digest pieces, so you can start having peace of mind one small step at a time. 

The first step in creating an estate plan is thinking about what is important to you . . . what are your desires and goals?  (Do not worry about the legalese and the names of the legal documents – that comes later!) What is most important is that you start jotting down the people and things that are most important to you, and how you would want to be cared for in case of incapacity. 

Things to consider through a few examples:  

Who would you like to care for you personally if you could not manage your day-to-day activities?

And who would you like to manage your finances if you were unable to do so? Would it be the same person as the person helping you personally?

Do you have any specific instructions for how you would like to be cared for? at home? in the home of a family member?

Do you have estranged family members? Would you want them to have control over your well-being?  

Would you trust your children with your finances? If you are unable to pay your bills, would you want your children to make financial decisions for you?  

If you find yourself recovering from a serious fall, do you really want your medical decisions made by someone you do not know?  

Do you have minor children who depend on you for their well being and financial support?

Do you have a sister you have been supporting for the last five years? Would you want to ensure that she is still taken care of? 

Is there a property that has been in the family for years? Would you want to ensure that it is well-maintained and kept up so your grandchildren can enjoy it one day too? 

Estate planning does not have to be a complicated process, simply start out by gathering your thoughts in “Step 1” to determine what is important to you. 

If you have not yet put your estate plan in place, we hope this article provides you with valuable information that will bring you closer to doing so.

In the meantime, if we can be of any assistance to you as you move ahead with your estate planning, please call us at 424-374-3465.