Estate planning is something that everyone should plan to do. If you haven’t started yet, that’s fine. There is time to do it now, and you can build on your initial plan over time.
Getting started is often the hardest part of estate planning, which is why it’s time to sit down and write out a schedule. Scheduling estate planning is a great way to get it done, even when you don’t want to.
How Do You Begin Estate Planning?
The first step is to set a deadline to meet with your attorney. Whether you make that deadline a few weeks from now or at the beginning of the next year, make sure you follow through.
Next, between now and that first appointment, start thinking about your finances and assets. You’ll need to keep documents of these items so that you can provide copies to your attorney to review. You should begin to think about things such as:
- Who you would want to have as a guardian for any dependents
- If you’d like to appoint someone as a health care power of attorney
- Who you want to have administer your estate
- How you’d like to distribute your assets to your beneficiaries
These are just a few of the things you’ll need to think about, so it may be a good idea to set up a consultation before your first appointment with your attorney so that you can find out more about what you should bring to that appointment. Your attorney can help guide you while you get started with your estate plans.