Proving My Innocence

End of life planning is something people have a tendency to delay. Many people believe it's something only the sick or old should deal with at all, and they try to put it out of their mind.

It's never been more important than now to make sure you have your affairs in order, however. Dying intestate- that is, without a will- can hang your family and loved ones in court for months or years, even if nobody disagrees about how your assets are to be distributed after your death. And while it's comforting to think that it won't matter until you're 82, people die all the time for all kinds of reasons, often very suddenly. If you have assets, at all, that you want to go to specific persons after your death, the time is now to look into setting up a will, whatever your age is.

Do I Need an Attorney?

Not necessarily, if you have items worth less than a few thousand dollars, you can probably get something together yourself. It's best if that is simple, however. The more money and complexity involved, the more likely you are going to want to bring in an expert on such things. Estates and trusts attorneys specialize in this kind of thing, and know how to make sure your loved ones can get what you want them to have with a minimum of fees, taxes, or court.

How Often Should I Revisit?

At least once a year, it's a good idea to review your will and ensure that everything is still as you want it. It's likely you'll want to change things over time, and that's extremely normal. What might go to whom in your will when you're 27 is likely to drastically change in the next ten years. You also should revisit on major life events. Deaths, births, and weddings can all reorganize how you might have things structured in your will. 

What About a Living Will?

That's a good idea, too. Living wills are sometimes called "healthcare directives" or "advanced directives", and a living will defines your own personal choices for end-of-life care, should you not be functionally able to get these across. It's easy to believe this kind of thing doesn't apply to you and won't ever. But it's just impossible to predict if you would need something like this. This is something you do and stick in a drawer and hope you never need. But if you do need it, your close friends and family will be so relieved to have your decisions, already made, and in hand.