You don’t have to be a millionaire to benefit from an estate plan. Reasons to create an estate plan with an estate planning lawyer in Palatine, IL are as unique as the individuals who create them. If you own a home, have minor children and/or grandchildren, grown children in their own marriages, have been divorced, own a business, or expect to receive an inheritance of your own, you need to take action now.
Here are the 5 common reasons you need to not only build and protect your hard-earned money, but transfer it with as little depletion and expense as possible. With a proper estate plan in place, you can plan ahead to:
- Designate who will manage your affairs if you become disabled and when you pass away. If you fail to do so, the court will decide for you. You never know who the court will appoint. Keep control of your own destiny!
- Plan for Medicaid and its impact on your estate if you must go into a nursing home. Nursing homes today can cost as much as $90,000 per year or more, and a long-term stay can easily impoverish all but the wealthiest families. With proper planning, however, you can shelter assets and keep your family’s wealth intact. Because there is a 50-50 chance that the average adult will spend at least one year in a long-term care facility, it becomes painfully clear this type of planning is extremely important
- Avoid probate, during your lifetime and when you pass away. Do you want the court controlling you or your assets? Probate proceedings are public, expensive, time-consuming and should be avoided whenever possible. Leave your money to your heirs quickly, privately and efficiently by establishing a proper estate plan.
- Protect children from a prior marriage if you pass away first. Second marriage planning can be complex and tricky. Expert legal guidance is needed to ensure your assets are preserved and your children of your first marriage will receive the proper share of their inheritance.
- Protect assets inherited by your heirs from lawsuits, divorces and other claims. Make sure your assets are inherited by your loved ones, not the people you don’t want to receive them, such as their ex-spouses, in-laws, creditors or the IRS
Thanks to Bott & Associates, Ltd. for their insight into estate planning and why to create yours.
