Make a Will, Make a Difference
August is National Make-a-Will month, a time to encourage individuals to create or update their wills and other end-of-life preparation documents. As you may know, I have been preaching the importance of comprehensive end-of-life preparation for over five years. The latest data from The Conversation Project says 92% of Americans feel it is important to discuss their end-of-life wishes, yet only 32% have done so. This is worse than a failing grade on something that could not be more important to those we love and care about.
In my next blog post, I will share a remarkable story of 15 women who turned that 92/32% stat upside down and how you can do the same. In the meantime, and in honor of National Make-a-Will month, here’s the assignment:
1. If you have not done a will and/or trust, please start asking around about a reputable estate attorney and then research the top two or three regarding their fees and processes. Shop, compare, and make a choice. Ask people you trust—ideally those who’ve actually completed an estate plan recently:
Financial advisors, accountants, or fiduciaries often work with top estate planning attorneys and can recommend reputable ones.
End-of-Life professionals, such as doulas, after-loss professionals, or healthcare providers, can be great sources if you're looking under time-sensitive circumstances.
Friends or family who've done comprehensive estate plans, not just a quick will from a template site.
Caution: Estate planning is a distinct sub-specialty within the law.
2. If you have already completed a will and/or trust, ask yourself how long it has been, or if any major life changes (divorce, sale/purchase of real estate, death of a beneficiary, etc) have occurred since you last updated it. If it has been greater than four years, plan on revisiting it – but not yet, not until you read next month’s blog post. Just gather the documents. If you need to find a new estate attorney because you have moved to a different state, or yours is no longer available or desirable, do step 1 above.
Not a deadline per se, but it would be great if you could have the name of a good estate attorney or service before you read the next blog post.