Hi! My name is Sam, and I started this blog to help other injured people. Before you start reading, let me tell you a little about myself. Ten years ago, I slipped on a slice of fruit in a grocery store. My leg slid out from under me, and in a freak twist, it was rendered useless. I could no longer work and struggled with intense pain every day. Luckily, I found an accident and injury attorney who was able to get me the compensation I needed to cover my medical bills and my lost time at work. However, while I waited for the settlement to come through, I had to get creative physically and financially. This blog is dedicated to anyone who is in that limbo position. I hope the posts here help you decide what to do while you wait for the results of your trial.
Planning your estate is an essential part of your emergency plan. You should never be without an estate plan, especially if you have minor children. This is why it is so important that you meet with an estate planning attorney right away and get everything drawn up. When you meet with the attorney it is important that you tell them certain things. Here are a couple secrets you shouldn't keep from your attorney:
1. Private Investments, Accounts and Debts
Some people have private investments, accounts and debts. These accounts may be kept from spouses, business partners, family etc., but they should not be kept from your attorney. When you pass away everything in your name will need to be distributed.
If you do not disclose certain parts of your estate to your attorney, then you risk not getting it included in the estate plan, or even worse having your entire estate plan contested. A family member might contest the validity of the will if it is not complete. If a will is contested it can cost a great deal of money and it will take a good deal of time to get estate distributed to the right people. Thus, don't keep this secret from your attorney.
2. Secret Family Relationships
Do you have offspring that some of your family doesn't know about? Perhaps you conceived a child and are supporting them, but not necessarily caring for their daily needs. When you die, that child has claim to your estate, just as any of your other heirs do. If you do not specifically say what you want done with this child in the will, they could contest the estate plan and once again deem it invalid.
An attorney needs to know about all of your heirs so that they can make sure that each one is included in the will the way you want. If you fail to do so, it could mean trouble after you pass away.
3. Bad Blood In Your Family
If you know that there is going to be someone in the family who has a hard time with the will, let your attorney know. It helps them to have a heads up about what to expect when executing the will. If they know that a certain child, sibling, or spouse is going to be difficult, it can help them prepare the will so that it ensures that you are getting exactly what you want executed.
By being honest with your attorney you can ensure that you estate is taking care of, the way you want it to be, after you pass away.
Share26 February 2015
