I can’t believe it’s the most wonderful time of the year already! Where has the year gone right? If you are like me, then you have begun thinking about presents for others in this time of giving. I know because I have been thinking a lot about what to get for my children and my parents. Toys, jewelry, books…. the list goes on. Lately I have found myself thinking a lot about providing for my family in the long term. It is kind of morbid really, but I have been thinking a lot about my certain death. It’s hard to imagine death but it is for sure the one certain thing we have to come to terms with, the one thing we are guaranteed to face.
So what will happen to my family if I die today? In addition to the heartbreak my children will face, they will also be faced with a new reality, a new guardian, new financial circumstances. But the truth is I can make my death less of a burden on everyone by having a proper estate plan in place. A good estate plan appointing the right guardians and giving my kids and their appointed guardians access to my resources with as little complication as possible is truly a blessing. A good estate plan is by far the best gift I can give to my children and my husband.
I am also gifting my parents an estate plan this year. As much as it pains to think about, my parents will not always be around and in our time of grieving when they do pass, I hope that my sisters and I do not have the stressful job of trying to figure out their estate, what did they own, where are their assets. So I am gifting them an Estate Plan with a qualified attorney this year. It will be both a gift to them knowing they have taken care of us leaving a legacy for their grandchildren in the way they choose and also a gift to us so we would not have to go through a stressful and cumbersome probate process trying to figure out where assets are and possibly not locating everything. So this year, as you spend time with your loved ones, cherish every moment of it because tomorrow is not guaranteed and think about how you would like your loved ones to be cared for and what you can do now to make that happen.
