Estate planning gives you the opportunity and often the flexibility to be able to choose what happens to you during your life and what happens to your assets after you pass away. But without deliberate and intentional estate planning, it can be difficult to accomplish these goals. Leaving unclear or confusing instructions behind when you’re no longer able to speak to your intentions could be confusing for your loved ones.

Confusion opens the door to estate litigation, which also slows the process of your chosen beneficiaries receiving the assets you’d like them to have.

Here are a couple of examples in which being deliberate is extremely important in your estate planning:

  • If you intend to name someone as a power of attorney agent, they should be familiar with your wishes, where to locate your documents and materials and should be aware of naming this person. If you have a vague power of attorney that makes it unclear what you want them to do in your stead, they will be unlikely to take action or unwilling to accept the appointment.
  • If you wish to disinherit someone from your estate and did not clearly articulate this in your estate planning with the help of a qualified estate planning lawyer, you may not properly in disinherit them.
  • If you want specific assets to be received by specific people. Talk to your estate planning attorney about the best way to transfer these assets.
  • If you have specific wishes regarding end of life care or specific medical treatments and medications you do or do not want to receive, these should be documented in your health care authorizations.

Talk to a qualified and knowledgeable estate planning attorney to discuss how this can work for you. We know what’s needed to help you craft the right plan for your needs, and we love working with clients over the course of their lives to keep these plans tailored to what is most important.

 

 

 

 

 

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