While many people focus on getting out of debt or getting organized for the New Year, estate planning is an equally important personal finance goal that should make every adult’s to-do list.
According to Charlotte estate planning lawyer Sabrina Winters, far too many area residents are without plans to protect their family, wishes and assets should something unexpectedly happen to them. A recent lawyers.com survey further reveals that only 35% of adults have a basic will or other
estate planning documents in place should death or incapacity occur.
“Contrary to popular belief, estate planning isn’t just for the rich,” says Winters. “At a bare minimum, every adult needs a basic will, power of attorney and health care directives in place to avoid a legal and financial stresses and obstacles if something unexpectedly happens to them.”
So what are these estate planning documents and how do they help you in a time of emergency? Winters explains the following:
- Will: A will is a document that specifies what should happen to your assets if you pass away. A will may also contain guardian nominations to dictate who will care for your minor children if something unexpectedly happens to you.
- Trust: A trust is a legal entity that can hold title to property. With your assets securely placed in a living trust, you can minimize your financial exposure to lawsuits, divorce and bankruptcy while alive. Upon death, a trust (if created and funded properly) will keep your affairs private and out of the probate court. It also allows a great deal of control for people who do not want their inheritance going outright to their heirs if something unexpectedly happens.
- Power of Attorney: A power of attorney or POA gives explicit permission for someone to access your personal accounts, pay your bills and handle all other financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated in an accident but do not die. Under the current privacy laws, even a spouse may have difficulty accessing personal information without such documentation in place.
- Advanced Health Care Directive: Also known as a living will, this document specifies your healthcare wishes if you are incapacitated in an accident and unable to speak for yourself. Such wishes may range from whether you want certain medications administered to when (if at all) to start life support in critical situations. This document also allows you to appoint the person best suited to carry out such wishes should incapacity occur.
“Accidents and serious illness happen every day without warning,” says Sabrina. “That’s why it’s so important for any adult who has not tackled their estate planning to add it to their resolutions this year. It will save their family from potential headaches and unexpected costs should the unthinkable happen.”
Sabrina Winters is a wife, a mom, a business owner and the Senior Attorney at Sabrina Winters, Attorney at Law, PLLC, an Estate Planning and Probate law firm located in the beautiful Ballantyne area of Charlotte, North Carolina. Winters has been assisting clients in all areas of Estate Planning for over a decade. Some of her services include the following: wills and trusts, probate, tax planning, planning for children and succession planning for business owners.
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