Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Estate Plan

If you’ve begun the process of creating an estate plan by writing a will, then you’re already on the right path to seeing that your family is cared for in the event of your passing. However, there is more that you can and should do to ensure that the assets you’ve earned in the hopes of passing them along to your heirs will be there when the time comes. Read on to learn how to protect your estate plan.

Plan and fund your funeral ahead of time

You might not relish the thought of planning out your own funeral, but doing so can be a huge help to your loved ones. Your family will be very grateful not to have to plan a funeral while they’re still in mourning over your death. Doing so in advance will also allow you the luxury of time to find less expensive options and will permit you to select and pay for the elements of your funeral in advance. This prevents the cost from being deducted from your loved ones’ inheritance later on.

Determine the amount of income you expect to earn in retirement

Many individuals underestimate the amount of income they’ll need during retirement. This can force you to live off assets you’d planned to leave behind for your family, which could greatly diminish their inheritance. We suggest that our clients meet with a financial advisor to discuss their income needs and life expectancy rather than try to determine these factors on their own. With the proper advisement you can more accurately plan how much money you’ll need in your retirement. If you plan early enough, you can make changes to your lifestyle or savings habits to fund your retirement comfortably.

Choose a trusted family member to help manage your money

We recommend choosing one or two trusted family members to manage a revocable trust or make other financial management decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so yourself. By appointing trusted family members in advance, you’ll be able to avoid costly guardianship proceedings should you be unable to capably manage your finances while you’re alive.

For assistance in creating a reliable New York estate plan, contact the seasoned and detail-oriented Hudson Valley wills & trusts attorneys at Rusk, Wadlin, Heppner & Martuscello, LLP for a consultation, at 845-236-4411 (Marlboro), or 845-331-4100 (Kingston).