You and your spouse may believe you have plenty of time to plan for your future; however, you never truly know how much time you have or what may happen tomorrow. Losing a spouse or your spouse become incapacitated is a traumatic experience. This experience can be much more difficult and stressful if you and your spouse have not taken steps to protect your family. It is important that both spouses understand the reason or estate planning and the need to ensure that your estate plan is comprehensive and up-to-date.
Below are the most common excuses people give for not beginning the estate planning process sooner.
Five Common Excuses Why People Do Not Bergin Estate Planning
“I am too busy to begin estate planning.”
If something is important to you and to your family, you will make time to take care of the matter. Estate planning does not need to be a drawn-out, time-consuming process. Most attorneys can help you complete an estate plan in just two appointments. During the first appointment, you discuss your goals and needs for an estate plan. During the second appointment, you sign your estate planning documents. The estate planning attorney does all of the work — you simply need to tell him what you want and show up to sign the documents.
“We don’t have enough to begin estate planning.”
Regardless of your current financial situation, estate planning is vital for protecting what you own now and what you will own in the future. It is also important to protect your family and provide for their care if you die or become incapacitated. There is much more involved in estate planning than simply signing a Will. You need to choose a guardian and conservator for your children and choose someone to act on your behalf to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself. Your estate planning attorney will advise you the types of estate documents you need to protect your family and meet your goals.
“My uncle is a real estate attorney – he said he could do our estate planning for us at a reduced cost.”
Your uncle may have extensive experience in the practice of property law; however, if he is not an estate planning or probate attorney, he may not understand the complexities of drafting a comprehensive estate plan. As experienced estate planning attorneys, all we do is deal with probate and estate issues. We understand the legal issues involved in drafting estate documents that will withstand a challenge by heirs or other interested parties. Our attorneys are constantly studying the updates and changes in probate law to ensure that the documents you sign meet all legal requirements.
“We cannot afford an estate planning attorney.”
Protecting your rights and protecting your family’s future is priceless; however, we do understand that your budget may not leave much room for estate planning services. Our attorneys offer affordable rates for our estate planning services. We will discuss payment options that you can afford during your consultation. Since we offer a consultation, it does not cost you anything to meet with a qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable estate planning attorney to get advice on how you need to proceed.
“We can just use one of those free online websites to download estate planning documents.”
It may be tempting to download “free estate planning forms” online; however, you have no idea if these forms are accurate and complete. Furthermore, these forms may not meet all of the legal requirements under our state law. You never want to risk your future and your family’s future to save a little time and money. These websites do not guarantee their services and do not offer reliable legal advice regarding estate planning laws, resources, and documents. If you use these forms, the court may reject the forms as invalid and apply the state’s intestate laws to your estate.
Hire an Experienced Wisconsin Estate Planning Attorney
The estate planning attorneys of Estate Law Partners, LLC provide clients in Madison, Wisconsin, and the surrounding areas, with comprehensive estate planning services. We personalize our services to meet the needs of each client. If you cannot come into our office, our attorneys make house calls. Contact our office by calling (608) 292-5185 to schedule a consultation or use our online contact form.