3 Things You Should Do While Talking To Your Estate Planning Attorney

When you go to see your estate-planning attorney, you might not know how to converse with them. Many estate-planning attorneys are very personable, and want you to have a positive experience. Here are a couple things that you should do when talking to your estate-planning attorney.

1. Be Honest About Finances and Assets

Finances are very personal. Many people do not like to talk about their savings accounts, debt, property, assets and much more. But in order to get you the best estate plan possible, your attorney needs to be able to account for everything. This is why it is so important that you are honest with your attorney, otherwise they will might something important.

If you hold something back from your attorney, and it is not included in the estate plan, it could cause major problems after you pass away. The goal of an estate plan is to avoid probate. If the plan is not thorough enough, it will have to go through probate, which will be expensive and take a lot of time. For this reason, be prepared to be transparent about your finances with your attorney.

2. Give Them A Heads Up About Family Disputes

Most estate plans will involve a family. This means that when you pass away, the estate-planning attorney will meet with your family to execute the plan. If you anticipate that there will be problems—such as family members being unhappy with the terms of the plan—you should let the attorney know. This way they can prepare the documents in a way that protects what you want. It also helps the attorney to know how to approach the situation. If they know ahead of time it will be sensitive, they can be prepared for that.

3. Talk With Your Attorney Often

The best time to get an estate plan is while you are young. Then as things change, such as family situations, finances, jobs, etc., you should be revising it. This will allow your family to protected in the best way possible. For this reason, you should talk with your attorney often.

Most professionals recommend that you revise your plan at least every 4 years. However, if you have any major life change, like marriage, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, or a change in job or finances, you should be revising immediately. The more you keep your estate plan up to date, the more protected your estate will be.

These are just three things you need to know about when talking to an estate-planning attorney. Click here for more info.