We are often asked what information someone needs to bring to an estate planning consultation. While it is not necessary to bring anything to the initial consultation, it will be very helpful if you have given some thought to the following 5 items:

1.Who do you want to put in charge of administering your estate after you die? This person will be responsible for making sure your final bills are paid and ensuring your property is distributed to the individuals/charities/entities your estate plan instructs. We suggest that you think of your first choice, and at least one alternate.

2. Is it important for you to make sure your family does not have to deal with probating your estate in court? If so, we can be sure to incorporate probate avoidance into your estate plan.

3. What are the full legal names of your spouse and children? If you do not have a spouse or children, what are the full legal names of other individuals you want to incorporate into your estate plan?

4. How do you want your assets to be distributed after you die? You can distribute your assets among individuals, or even donate assets to charities, schools, or churches. You can be very specific with who gets what, or you can be as broad as directing that everything you own should be distributed equally among certain named individuals or entities. You can direct that assets be held and administered by a Trustee until certain beneficiaries reach certain ages, or you can direct that everything be distributed at once when you die. The possibilities are numerous, and during the estate planning consultation, we will talk through your ideas to decide the best custom plan for you.

5. If you have any minor children, who do you want to nominate as your minor children’s caregiver/guardian in the event you pass away while the children are still minors? We suggest that you think of your first choice, and at least one alternate.

While these items will help you get started with ideas for your estate plan, you do not have to make any final decisions before coming to the consultation. The initial estate planning consultation allows you to get familiar with estate planning options, discuss your questions and ideas with us, and determine the best plan for you.

If you would like to set up your free estate planning consultation, please call us at 918-782-0000 or email us at help@leecoats.com