The first step of the Three Step Strategy™ is getting the personalized counselling you need.
What do I mean by “counselling”? Let’s assume you died, and you’re up in the clouds looking down (the better of the two alternatives). What do you think is supposed to be happening? If that’s what’s happening, you’re plan worked. Anything else is unacceptable, right?
Your picture of what is supposed to happen is a “snapshot” if you will. The job of your estate planning attorney is to help you sharpen that snapshot, get it into focus.
But that’s just the first part of counselling. Once you have articulated what’s on your mind about what you want to have happen, you’ll want to know if you have covered all the bases. You need a “target” to make sure you hit it, right?
Consider the following Definition of Estate Planning™:
I want to control my property while I’m alive and well,
Plan for me and my loved ones if I become mentally disabled,
Then give what I have
To whom I want
When I want
The way I want,
All while assuring my wisdom is transferred along with the rest of my wealth.
Addressing all of these issues takes careful thought, clear priorities, and an understanding of what the options are. For that, you need an experienced attorney who is prepared take the time to listen to your thoughts and ideas, learn who you are, and then teach you about the options so you can make informed judgments and decisions about the details of your plan.
The Three Step Strategy™, the Snapshot Test™ and the Definition of Estate Planning™ are trademarked by LifeSpan LLC and used with express permission by the author as a member of The National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys under a license granted by LifeSpan LLC.
Copyright Frank L. Bridges 2015