While no one enjoys contemplating their own mortality, it is sometimes necessary to do so, such as when taking steps to ensure that your family is financially protected in the event that something happens to you. If you want to make sure that your loved ones are well cared for after your passing, you’ll need to talk to an estate planning attorney. At James M. Snow Law, I want to help you make your meetings as productive as possible. To help get your first meeting off to a good start, here are three questions you should ask yourself ahead of time.
- Whom do you trust to handle your finances? One thing to ask yourself before meeting with your estate planning attorney is whom you trust to handle your financial assets. Appointing someone to be the executor of your will is an important part of estate planning and having an answer in mind before you meet with your attorney will help make your initial meeting more fruitful and help the process go more smoothly.
- Do you know where your important documents are, and have you told your loved ones? Another thing to consider before you meet with your estate planning attorney is the location of your important documents and records. The executor of your will and testament will need to access things like your financial statements and online accounts, so it’s important to store your documents and login information in a safe but accessible location. It’s also important to inform your loved ones of this location–at James M. Snow Law, I have seen many cases where families are unable to find these documents because their deceased loved one forgot to tell them where to look.
- What are your wishes when it comes to health care, and have you told your family and your doctor? A third thing to think about before meeting with your estate planning attorney is your wishes regarding your end-of-life care. While everyone hopes to keep command of their faculties as they age, the reality is that you don’t know whether you will be able to communicate those wishes or not. At James M. Snow Law, I will help you document your medical wishes so that you retain your dignity, but I also recommend that you discuss them with your family so that they aren’t blindsided by them during an emergency.