Are Your Legal Affairs in Order?
It’s a simple question that can produce a mixed of reactions: are your affairs in order?
When this question comes up, you may be anxious about the thought of dying. You may be annoyed at yourself because you have put it off and you know its important. Or maybe you are worried that you haven’t done enough. And there will be some folks who feel good about their plan because of their estate planning attorney!
When it comes to estate planning, it’s tempting to fool yourself that your affairs have been adequately handled simply by creating a last will and testament. However, depending on your specific needs, the creation of a really well done estate plan involves a lot more planning than that – plans that include what to do while you’re alive as well as plans about how you want your loved ones to benefit from your hard work over a lifetime.
Important Paperwork
Do you know where your social security card has been stored? What about important certificates for any marriages, children, adoptions, or proof of citizenship? And how about the deeds to any houses or vehicles in your possession? And what about your life insurance policy, retirement account documents, and bank and other money account information?
It is probably a good idea to gather important papers like these as you begin the process of working on creating an estate plan. It will aid you in identifying your assets. It will also make it easier on others who may need to be called upon in the event you are incapacitated – meaning out of action due to an accident or illness. You want to make sure you share the location of these documents with the people empowered to act on your behalf. This important paperwork will eventually include your estate plan documents such as your will, your power of attorney, trust documents, and advanced medical directives such as Do Not Resuscitate Orders or Long-Term Care instructions. This information can be vital to insure your wishes will be clearly communicated and smoothly carried out.
Do not assume they will be easy to find, or that your spouse or children know where they are.
Other examples of important information can include:
• Names of church affiliation, volunteer organizations or other religious groups
• Healthcare provider, medication prescriptions and uses
• Employers, and not just the most recent ones
• Full legal name, especially if that name changed at any point in your lifetime (maiden name)
Talk with an Experienced Estate Planning Attorney
As stated above, it’s critical that you have a way to inform the people you trust and care for, what the plans are when you die or if you are in disabled and unable to speak (think of a bad car accident or an sudden illness that results in a coma). The best way is to meet with an experienced, knowledgeable, and caring professional like estate planning attorney James R. Nici of Naples Florida, and come up with a comprehensive plan. Mr. Nici has been a licensed Florida attorney since 1994, and Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates since 2000. He founded his own firm, Nici Law Firm, in Naples, Florida in 2011 and has been consistently providing for the unique legal needs of his clients, especially those retiring to Florida.
A good estate planning lawyer, like James Nici, will go over with you the necessary items to include in your plan and the reasons why. In the case of Nici Law Firm, while the firm’s primary focus has always been Florida Domicile, Estate Planning, and Estate Administration, the firm has been able to expand to meet the growing needs of their clients. They also provide highly sophisticated tax and estate planning for high net worth clients in addition to asset protection planning and corporate legal services. Nici Law Firm is well-suited to meet the estate planning and business needs of its clients.
Do not further delay. The peace of mind you will experience once your affairs are truly in order is immeasurable. And if you haven’t had your estate plan reviewed in a while, this is another reason to meet with your estate planning attorney.
Contact Nici Law Firm Today
Hopefully we have convinced you to get your affairs in order. Do you have questions about what should be included in your specific estate plan or why you need a power of attorney document? Contact the Nici Law Firm today to find out more to get started today.
