Estate Planning: An Act of Love

Given the very wonderful response it generated, I thought I would put the spotlight on this article from Women Today again this year.

Since we celebrate Valentine's Day this month, I thought we might look at estate planning from a perspective that just might surprise you.

Many people do not fully understand the true nature of estate planning. This misunderstanding has lead many people to believe that estate planning is nothing more than dealing with disability, death, and sometimes taxes. They believe it is something that can and should be put off until another day.

I believe the act of estate planning is an act of love for oneself and for one's loved ones. In fact, love is the absolute foundation of a truly effective estate plan. We all want to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. We all spend a lot of time, energy, thought, effort, and money taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. I believe reasonable loving people are not willing to gamble on their own welfare or on the well-being of their loved ones in the event of a crisis which inevitably happens to all of us.

Remember if you do not have a properly drafted estate plan, the state in which you reside has a "will" for you. Does the state know or truly care about your dreams, fears, and aspirations regarding yourself and your loved ones? Is it interested in helping you save taxes? I do not think so

.Estate planning is a positive act. It is a loving act. Through estate planning we can ensure that neither ourselves nor our loved ones are unnecessarily harmed. We can ensure that the inevitable and inherently stressful situations that we will all face will become less stressful. We can reduce unnecessary expenses, administrative hassles and taxes. We can leave a lasting legacy. We can help our loved ones, and society if we choose, through carefully designed estate plans.

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