Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year!  Greetings from The Mack Law Group.  It has been truly a pleasure to work with you in 2021.  I am so grateful that I was able to assist you with the very important step of preserving a legacy for your loved ones by completing an estate plan for you.  

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being our valued client. I encourage you to think of the new year as an opportunity to take the following steps to make things easier for you and your loved ones:

Advise us of any life events that may impact your estate plan:

There are so many life events that could potentially have an impact on your estate plan.  Some of these life events include: death of a family member, the starting of a business, a divorce, a separation, a birth, a change in health status, or the death of an agent selected as your power of attorney, trustee, or health care designee.  Did you purchase or sell a home? These are just a few examples. Please give us a call to discuss any major life event so that we may review your plan for modification.

Fund your trust:

If we created a trust for you, now is a good time to revisit funding your trust.  You may recall that I told you that creating a trust and not funding it is like building a beautiful home and not putting any furniture in it.   You cannot live in it, and it is not serving the purpose for which it has been built.  Likewise, having a trust and not funding it is means that it is not fulfilling the purpose for which it has been established, since any assets not transferred into your trust during your lifetime are typically required to go through the probate court. If you have done your initial funding, great!  We applaud you.  If not, there’s still time.  Now is the time to consider the status of your assets, including new ones that you may have accumulated in 2021. We are happy to assist with funding your trust.  Just give us a call.

Please talk with your family:

The best way to minimize disappointment and disputes after your death is to let everyone know what to expect in advance. Be prepared to discuss those issues with your loved ones.  You may even make changes to your estate plan based on those conversations — we will be happy to have follow-up discussions, as needed.  There is no legal requirement that you either share or withhold copies of your documents, but there are good practical reasons to let loved ones in on the plans.  If you are unsure  of what that do, we can provide advice and counsel on these issues.

Coordinate your beneficiary designations:

It is very important to check your beneficiary designations.  It is often the case that clients believe their Last Will and Testament will supersede their beneficiary designations.  This is often not the case.  Proceeds from life insurance polices, retirement plans, etc. will go directly to the designated beneficiaries, thus bypassing your will or trust.  Your beneficiary designations should align to your overall estate plan.  We are happy to review your designations with you, as needed.

Do not tinker with beneficiary designations, documents, or titles.

If someone at your bank says you should make all your accounts into “Payable on Death” (POD) accounts please talk with us first.  If we have helped you name a trust as beneficiary on your IRA and your accountant tells you that it was a mistake, please talk to us before you change it back.  We strongly recommend that you not put your child’s name on your house or your bank account, “just in case”.  We prepared your documents with you and your estate planning goals mind.  Your change may undue the value and effect of the documents we prepared for you.

Prepare a list of assets and directions.

It really helps if you have left an asset roadmap for the person who handles your estate.  You know where your life insurance policy is located, but the person handling your estate might not. Whoever that person might be will spend countless hours looking for that kind of valuable information if you do not provide a roadmap for him or her.  Having that roadmap will make that person’s job much less stressful.  We are here to assist you.  

May 2022 be a peaceful, healthful, and prosperous year for you and your loved ones.  Please let us know how we may be best serve you this year.

Warm Personal Regards,

THE MACK LAW GROUP
A PROFESSIONAL LEGAL CORPORATION

Pamela-Denise Mack
Pamela-Denise Mack, Principal Attorney