Protecting the Intentions of Your Estate Plan

An estate plan adds tremendous value to your life by allowing you the flexibility to control the outcome of your assets and personal possessions. Creating your estate plan in Illinois is the first step toward planning for your future.

Once you make designations regarding your wealth, it is imperative that you understand what elements may create the need for an adjustment to your estate plan.

The Need for Education

Your effort to learn more about which factors may undermine your vision for the future is necessary to avoid critical oversights. As you recognize fluctuations, you may confidently modify your plan to keep it true to your lifestyle and final wishes.

Kiplinger names four primary forces that have the power to alter your estate plan if you do not plan accordingly. These include the following:

• Misunderstandings about the way joint ownership works, especially after you or your spouse passes away.

• State laws and requirements for inheritance taxes.

• Unforeseen disagreements among your surviving family members, will contest and other contentions that require probate to settle.

• Taxes required for certain monetary gifts, as well as federal estate taxes.

Proactivity Is Your Friend

When you are proactive about assessing the effectiveness of various influences on your estate plan, the adjustments you make will be meaningful, timely and valuable in your effort to protect your final wishes. Additionally, accounting for these forces while you are able, preserves the integrity of your plan while reducing confusion and frustration for your remaining family members. If you would like to learn more about planning an estate, please visit our webpage.