November 24th, 2022 |

• Estate Planning

By Attorney Alan L. Spiegel, Jr.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The gift giving season is here and there is no better gift to give than the gift of peace of mind. 

Every adult needs an estate plan, regardless of how wealthy or modest their assets are. Whether you want to ensure your children have a guardian named, your parents have their estate planned, or your college student has a power of attorney in place so you more easily address their medical or financial matters, give the gift that will provide the most meaning for your family when tragedy occurs.  

Use this guide to navigate this sensitive subject. 

Step 1 – Understand why an estate plan is important to your family  

You don’t want your heirs to have to spend time sorting through legal matters or even worse arguing over what you would have wanted. Perhaps that asset you thought they wanted they don’t or the guardian you want to name isn’t up for the responsibility. Estate plans are also about incapacity and who you want to be able to make medical and financial decisions for you when you’re not able. This might be due to an accident, health condition, or you are not available outside the country and your child needs emergency care. Have peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be followed. 

Step 2 – Give the Gift of an Estate Plan 

Estate Plans are extremely inexpensive especially compared to the cost of probate or hiring a lawyer if you don’t have an estate plan. You can create a gift certificate online to give to your loved one to have their estate plan prepared or you can contact the office of McLario Helm Bertling, and Spiegel and we’d be happy to create a gift certificate pre-paid for your loved one that you can wrap and give them at the holidays. 

Step 3 – Have a family meeting 

Talking about your wishes makes it easier for everyone if something tragic were to occur but we understand it might be hard to approach the subject. Learn more about what a family meeting is and how an attorney can facilitate this discussion and ask the right questions that give everyone clarity and comfort. 

Check out these videos on our YouTube page: McLario, Helm, Bertling and Spiegel 

How do I talk to my parents or older loved ones about estate planning? 

What is a Family Meeting? 

The things you need to get right this holiday season: 

Having everything in place would give you peace of mind should a life-changing event happen. Here are some of the things that need to be in order: 

Will or Trust 

Creating a will is one of the first things you need to start with. You need to know who is going to be your beneficiary and how your wealth will be divided amongst them. 

Power of attorney 

You need to assign someone you trust to oversee your affairs in the event of your health or financial inability.  

Beneficiaries  

You need to choose your beneficiaries, and if you become incapacitated, choose who would be the guardian for your children. 

The attorneys at The McLario Firm can help you with planning your estate. We want to be your “Law Firm for Life” and highly recommend you sit down with your family during the holidays and discuss your plans so they know your wishes and know where to find all your documents should the unfortunate event happens. Not only is it a great time to talk about your plans, ask them about their plans and vice versa.