WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WORKING WITH YOUR ESTATE PLANNING TEAM
Learning Estate Planning
Estate planning often involves the coordinated efforts of an estate planning team consisting of your estates lawyer, accountant, and financial services professional. However, whether establishing a new estate plan or revising an existing one, only you can provide the guidance, direction, and information needed to develop an effective plan. Most estate planning teams begin by requesting that you complete an estate planning questionnaire and asset inventory. It is important to provide your team with comprehensive information, so they can help you achieve your goals.
Although some of the estate lawyer questions may seem intrusive, each has a specific purpose. When formulating an estate plan, you may be asked to provide any or all of the following information
:Family and Other Beneficiaries
Names, ages, relationships, and special needs of family members and other beneficiaries
Copies of property settlements, other financial agreements, and court decrees relating to your family
Health
Information on your current health and the health of your beneficiaries
Average health and life span of your ancestors
Assets and Liabilities
List of the estimated net value of your assets, and documentation of ownership
Identification of your liabilities and those of your spouse
Existing Plans ·
Copy of your current will, including information on contractual or legal restrictions on the disposition of your assets
Documentation of survivorship provisions and beneficiary designations on insurance policies, retirement plans, employee benefit plans, business buy-sell agreements, and other similar assets
Objectives and Purposes
Goals and aspirations for yourself and each beneficiary
Assessment of each beneficiary’s ability to manage assets
Benefits of Estate Planning
Your estate planning team can help you work toward the following goals:
a) Determine disposition or retention of your assets during your lifetime, and the need for expertise to value and dispose of your assets.
b) Identify which assets may be subject to probate and estate taxes, and estimate the potential cost to your estate.
c) Estimate and plan for the liquidity needs of your estate, your surviving spouse, and other family members and beneficiaries to cover estate taxes, probate costs, and future living expenses.
d) Select the best domicile, if applicable, to help reduce the net effect of taxes on your estate.
It will also be beneficial for you to list questions to ask an estate lawyer so you will have all the required information at your disposal.
Remember that no estate plan is final. Marriages, remarriages, births, deaths, professional changes, and new legislation may necessitate adjusting an existing plan or creating a new one. Also, the composition of your assets may change over time. To keep your estate plan up-to-date, notify your estate planning team of any relevant changes as they occur, and work with your team if they inform you of any relevant legislative changes.