What Your Estate Planning Attorney Wants You to Think About
The Questions Your Attorney Will Ask at the Initial Meeting
- Who do you want to name as guardian(s) of your minor children? Should the same person(s) handle both fiancial affairs and child rearing?
- Who do you want to leave your worldly goods to?If none of your named beneficiaries survives you, who should then get your worldly goods? Do you want to leave something to a charity or educational institution?
- Do you want to leave your worldly goods to your beneficiaries outright or in a trust? If you decide to create a trust for your children, at what age do you want your children to begin receiving the property outright?
- Who do you want to name as your executor? Have you selected one or more alternate executors?
- Who do you want to name as trustee of a revocable trust or a trust created under your will? Have you selected one or more alternate trustees?
- Who is the beneficiary of your life insurance and retirement plans? Do you have contigent beneficiaries? If divorced, have you removed an ex-spouse’s name as beneficiary?
- What are your assets and liabilities? How are your assets titled, in your name only, as joint tenants or as joint tenants with right of survivorship? What is your net worth?
- Who do you want to designate as your health care agent to make health-care decisions on your behalf if you cannot? Have you named one or more alternate health care agents? What medical treatment do you want or do not want if you are unable to communicate with health care providers?
- Who do you want to name as your agent to make financial decisions on your behalf if you are unable to handle your own affairs? Have you named one or more alternative agents? Should your agent have authority immediately or only upon your disability?
