Estate Planning Made Simple
Posted on: 5 October 2015
As you get older, it becomes more important for you to plan for when you pass on, especially if you have children. To make this process a little less difficult in regards to your estate planning, you can take these steps.
Determine How to Divide Your Assets
One of the most important things to consider when planning for life after you are gone is who gets what. Now, this may cause a lot of controversy and debate within your family, which is why you should approach this topic as calmly as possible.
Meet with everyone and try to come up with a fair system for dividing up your assets. At the end of the day it's your choice, but you want there to be some unity within the family. See what possessions each individual in your family wants, and try to make sure no one gets more than any other.
Minimize Estate and Income Taxes
After you are gone, you don't want anyone in your family to have to worry about paying taxes on property or assets you own. That's why you need to make smart decisions when deciding what types of assets you are going to give your family.
Instead of giving your family taxable assets, you could give these assets to a charity. Then, you could give all of your nontaxable assets, such as your individual retirement account, to your family. Another method would be to pay off all of these taxes before you die. This is achievable if you create a budget and stick to it.
Hire an Estate Lawyer
If this whole process is confusing to you, you can get assistance from an estate lawyer. These professionals can do many things. For one, they will take you through every step of the estate planning process, from writing the will to dividing up your assets. This speeds up the process so you can move on with the life you have left.
Additionally, your estate attorney can help you protect assets from probate and taxes. This is important, because it prevents you from putting your family into a financial hole after you are gone. Before hiring one of these attorneys, make sure you can trust them with your estate plans. Set up a consultation to see how they work and what type of experience they have.
Estate planning is important to consider the older you are, because you never know when it's going to be your time to go. This planning process can go as smoothly as possible thanks to these steps. Contact professionals like Wright Law Offices, PLLC for more information.
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