Do We Need Estate Planning?

Estate Planning, Health Care, Power of Attorney, Probate, Protecting Children / Beneficiary Designation, Durable Power of Attorney, Estate Planning Attorney, Healthcare Proxy, minor children, Probate, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney, Trusts, Will

Estate planning is not just about making a will, nor is it just for people who live in mansions. Estate planning is best described in the title of this article “Estate planning is an important strategy for arranging financial affairs and protecting heirs—here are five reasons why everyone needs an estate plan” from Business Insider. Estate planning is a plan for the future, for you, your spouse and those you love.

There are a number of reasons for estate planning:

Avoiding paying more federal and state taxes than necessary
Ensuring that assets are distributed as you want
Naming the people you choose for your own care, if you become incapacitated; and/or
Naming the people you choose to care for your minor children, if something should happen to you and your spouse.

If that sounds like a lot to accomplish, you’re right. However, with the help of a trusted estate planning attorney, an estate plan can provide you with the peace of mind that comes with having all of the above.

If those decisions and designations are not made by you while you are alive and legally competent, the state law and the courts will determine who will get your assets, raise your children and how much your estate will pay in death taxes to the government. You can avoid that with an estate plan.

Here are the five key things about estate planning:

It’s more than a will. The estate plan includes creating Durable Powers of Attorney to appoint individuals who will make medical and/or financial decisions, if you are not able to do so. The estate plan also contains Medical Directives to communicate your wishes about what kind of care you do or do not want, if you are so sick you cannot do so for yourself. The estate plan is where you can create Trusts to control how property passes from one person or one generation to the next.

Estate planning saves time, money, and angst. If you have a surviving spouse, they are usually the ones who serve as your executor. However, if you do not and if you do not have an estate plan, the court names a public administrator to distribute assets according to state law. While this is happening, no one can access your assets. There’s a lot of paperwork and a lot of legal fees. With a will, you name an executor who will take care of and gain access to most, if not all, of your assets and administer them according to your instructions.

Estate planning includes being sure that investment and retirement accounts with a beneficiary designation have been completed. If you don’t name a beneficiary, the asset goes through the probate court. If you fail to update your beneficiary designations, your ex or a person from your past may end up with your biggest assets.

Estate planning is also tax planning. While federal taxes only impact the very wealthy right now, that is likely to change in the future. States also have estate taxes and inheritance taxes of their own, at considerably lower exemption levels than federal taxes. If you wish your heirs to receive more of your money than the government, tax planning should be part of your estate plan.

The estate plan is also used to protect minor children. No one expects to die prematurely, and no one expects that two spouses with young children will die. However, it does happen, and if there is no will in place, then the court makes all the decisions: who will raise your children, and where, how their upbringing will be financed, or, if there are no available family members, if the children should become wards of the state and enter the foster care system. That’s probably not what you want.

The estate plan includes the identification of the person(s) you want to raise your children, and who will be in charge of the assets left in trust for the children, like proceeds from a life insurance policy. This can be the same person, but often the financial and child-rearing roles are divided between two trustworthy people. Naming an alternate for each position is also a good idea, just in case the primary people cannot serve.

Estate planning, finally, also takes care of you while you are living, with a power of attorney and healthcare proxy. That way someone you know, and trust can step in, if you are unable to take care of your legal and financial affairs.

Once your estate plan is in place, remember that it is like your home: it needs to be updated every three or four years, or when there are big changes to tax law or in your life.

Reference: Business Insider (Jan. 14, 2021) “Estate planning is an important strategy for arranging financial affairs and protecting heirs—here are five reasons why everyone needs an estate plan”

5 Good Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan

Estate Planning, Guardian, Protecting Children, Tax Planning, Trusts, Wills / Beneficiary Designation, Estate Planning Attorney, Guardian, Long-Term Costs, minor children, Retirement Plan, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

Most people already know that there are lots of good reasons to update your estate plan, and every estate planning attorney will tell you that they meet with people every day, who sheepishly admit that they’ve been meaning to update their estate plan, but just haven’t gotten to it. Let the guilt go.

Attorneys know that no one wants to talk about death, taxes or illness, says Wicked Local in the article “Five Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan.” However, there are five good reasons to update your estate plan and even an appearance before the Queen of England has to come second.

You have minor children. An estate plan for a couple with young children must do two very important things: address the care and custody of minor children should both parents die and address the management and distribution of the assets that the children will inherit. The will is the estate planning document used to name a guardian for minor children. The guardian is the person who will determine where your children will live and go to school, what kind of health care they receive and make all daily decisions about their care and upbringing.

If you don’t have a will, the court will name a guardian for you. You may not like the court’s decision. Your children might not like it at all. Having a will takes care of this important decision.

Your estate is worth more than $1 million. While the federal estate plan exemptions currently are at levels that remove federal tax from most people’s estate planning concerns, there are still state estate taxes. Some states have inheritance taxes. Whether you are married or single, if your assets are significant, you need an estate plan that maps out how assets will be left to your heirs and to plan for taxes.

Your last estate plan was created before 2012. There have been numerous changes in state estate planning laws regarding wills, probate and trusts. There have also been big changes in federal estate taxes. Strategies that were perfect in the past, may no longer be necessary or as productive because of these changes. While you’re taking the time to update your estate plan and making these changes, don’t forget to deal with digital assets. That includes email accounts, social media, online banking, etc. This will protect your fiduciaries from breaking federal hacking laws that are meant to protect online accounts, even when the person has your username and password.

You have robust retirement plans. Your will and trust do not control all the assets you own at the time of death. The first and foremost controlling element in your asset distribution is the beneficiary designation. Life insurance policies, annuities, and retirement accounts will be paid to the beneficiary named on the account, regardless of what your will says. Part of a comprehensive estate plan review will also cover beneficiary designations on each account.

You are worried about long-term care costs. Estate planning does not take place in a vacuum. Your estate plan needs to address issues like your plan, if you or your spouse need care. Do you intend to stay in your home? Are you going to move to live closer to your children, or to a Continuing Care Retirement Community? Do you have long-term insurance in place? Do you want to plan for Medicaid eligibility?

All of these issues are great reasons to update your estate plan. If you’ve never had an estate plan created, this is the time. Put your mind at ease, by getting this off your “to do” list and contact an experienced estate planning attorney.

Reference: Wicked Local (Aug. 29, 2019) “Five Reasons to Review Your Estate Plan”

Market Volatility Got You Worried? Here’s Something You Can Control

Estate Planning, Guardian, Health Care, Living Will, Power of Attorney, Protecting Children, Trusts, Wills / Beneficiaries, Estate Plan, Guardian, minor children, Power of Attorney, St. Petersburg, Will

When investors are faced with turbulent markets, there’s a human response to want to do something—sometimes, anything. We’re hardwired to try to take control. That doesn’t always help us make the best investment decisions. However, as reported in this Daily Camera’s article, there is something that you can do that may make you feel better: “Freaked out about the market? Resolve to get your estate in order.”

If you care about your health care, financial affairs, minor children and even your beloved pets, this is an important task to take care of. An estate plan includes legal documents that help you, when you are living and helps your heirs, when you die. In addition to a will, powers of attorney that will give your loved ones the ability to manage your affairs, if you become incapacitated. An updated will ensures that your assets go to the inheritors you chose. Don’t forget your beneficiaries.

Your beneficiaries are the people who are named on several accounts and life insurance policies. You may have named people on investment accounts, life insurance policies, IRAs, bank accounts, annuities and other assets. If you have not done a full review of those documents in a while, you want to take care of this right away. Life and relationships change over time, and the people you originally named as your beneficiaries, may no longer be the ones you would select today. Note that any changes must be made while you are living—when you are passed, the beneficiaries receive the asset, regardless of what is written in your will.

If you’re not sufficiently motivated to make an appointment with an estate planning attorney, you should be aware that if you don’t have a will, the laws of your state will determine who gets your assets and even, lacking a will that names a guardian, who rears your minor children. You may or may not be a fan of court proceedings, but if you don’t have a properly prepared will, the court is going to be making a lot of decisions on your behalf.

Contact an estate planning attorney to begin the process of putting your affairs in order. An attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law, is most likely a better choice than one who does wills on the side. There are many complex laws in estate planning, and there are many opportunities available to make the most out of your assets and grow your legacy. An estate planning attorney will know what will work best for you and your family.

Reference: Daily Camera (Jan. 6, 2019) “Freaked out about the market? Resolve to get your estate in order”

How Do I Set Up a Trust?

Estate Tax, Financial Planning, Grantor, Protecting Children, Special Needs Trust, Tax Planning, Trust, Trustee / Estate Planning Lawyer, Estate Tax, Financial Planning, Grantor, minor children, protecting children, Special Needs Trust, St. Petersburg, Tax Planning, Trustee, Trusts

Trust funds are often associated with the very rich, who want to pass on their wealth to future heirs. However, there are many good reasons to set up a trust, even if you aren’t super rich. You should also understand that creating a trust isn’t easy.

U.S. News & World Report’s recent article, “Setting Up a Trust Fund,” explains that a trust fund refers to a fund made up of assets, like stocks, cash, real estate, mutual bonds, collectibles, or even a business, that are distributed after a death. The person setting up a trust fund is called the grantor or settlor, and the person, people or organization(s) receiving the assets are known as the beneficiaries. The person the grantor names to ensure that his or her wishes are carried out is the trustee.

While this may sound a lot like drawing up a will, they’re two very different legal vehicles.

Trust funds have several benefits. With a trust fund, you can establish rules on how beneficiaries spend the money and assets allocated through provisions. For example, a trust can be created to guarantee that your money will only be used for a specific purpose, like for college or starting a business. And a trust can reduce estate and gift taxes and keep assets safe.

A trust fund can also be set up for minor children to distribute assets to over time, such as when they reach ages 25, 35 and 40. A special needs trust can be used for children with special needs to protect their eligibility for government benefits.

At the outset, you need to determine the purpose of the trust because there are many types of trusts. To choose the best option, talk to an experienced estate planning attorney, who will understand the steps you’ll need to take, like registering the trust with the IRS, transferring assets to the trust fund and ensuring that all paperwork is correct. Trust law varies according to state, so that’s another reason to engage a local legal expert.

Next, you’ll need to name a trustee. Choose someone who’s reliable and level-headed. You can also go with a bank or trust company to be your trust fund’s trustee, but they may charge around 1% of the trust’s assets a year to manage the funds. If you go with a family member or friend, also choose a successor in case something happens to your first choice.

It’s not uncommon for people to have a trust written and then forget to add their assets to the fund. If that happens, the estate may still have to go through probate.

Another common issue is giving the trustee too many rules. General guidelines for use of trust assets is usually a better approach than setting out too many detailed rules.

Reference: U.S. News & World Report (November 8, 2018) “Setting Up a Trust Fund”

Do You Know What Would Happen To Your Kids If Something Happened to You? The answer may surprise you…

Estate Planning, Protecting Children, Wills / Estate Planning, minor children, parents

This Story Will Break Your Heart.

This Story Will Break Your Heart

In 2006 Casey and Melanie Barber were on a summer vacation with their three children when their van blew a tire and spun out of control, resulting in a horrifying accident that left Casey and Melanie dead. Miraculously, all three of their boys survived the accident.

In the aftermath of the accident there was confusion among family members concerning who would care for the children. Because the Barbers left no clear instructions, this confusion ultimately resulted in a court battle over custody of the boys (and their inheritance) that lasted for more than a year, involved no less than 9 different attorneys, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and court time.

In the end, the court appointed a legal guardian who may or may not have been the person who Casey and Melanie would have wanted to raise their children. We’ll never know because they never made their wishes known.

It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way for Your Family

Like many parents with minor children at home, the Barbers didn’t take the time to put an estate plan together that would have protected their children after their accident. Many parents have so many questions about the estate planning process and feel so overwhelmed by the thought of their children being raised without them that they procrastinate and do nothing at all.

The most important thing that any parent can do is name a guardian for their children. A guardian is the person who will raise your children if you’re not able to raise them yourself. Most people don’t realize that if you don’t legally name a guardian to raise your children, then the courts will have to do it for you; and they may not choose the person that you would have wanted.

Every loving parent understands the need to have a plan in place should something happen to them. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misunderstanding surrounding wills, trusts, and the court system. Getting information about the basics of a good estate plan is the first step. The second step is to speak with an estate planning attorney about your unique family dynamic and your specific goal of protecting your children. They should be able to answer your questions, offer advice for how to best protect your children, and craft a plan that meets your needs.

With a god attorney, the process of estate planning shouldn’t be intimidating, difficult or even time consuming. It should however be a fundamental requirement for every parent.

Take the first step toward insuring that your children will be taken care of, no matter what happens to you! Download your free copy of A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Your Children Through Estate Planning at www.parents.mastrylaw.com

Do We Need Estate Planning?

5 Good Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan

Market Volatility Got You Worried? Here’s Something You Can Control

How Do I Set Up a Trust?

Do You Know What Would Happen To Your Kids If Something Happened to You? The answer may surprise you…

We'd Love to Talk With You!

Mastry Law, P.A.

Route

Contact Us