'Tis the Season for Estate Planning
At Wakefield Law, we care deeply about our clients and their families. From our perspective, estate planning is all about love, and we are committed to helping our clients show their love by providing for and protecting those they cherish. But, like most things, there are two sides to every coin.
For many, estate planning seems like Scrooge at the beginning of A Christmas Carol would talk about during the holiday season. People often think estate planning is about minimizing taxes, protecting wealth, and keeping a close count on the family treasure. But for us and for our clients, estate planning is all about making sure you are mitigating the stress and problems your loved ones could run into if something is to happen to you. We see estate planning as love in action. It’s prioritizing your loved ones, their futures, and your shared values by creating safeguards to protect and a support system to sustain.
Give the Gift of Estate Planning this Holiday Season
We have said this before, but estate planning is a wonderful gift to give to your loved ones. Not only can your estate plan provide for their support and success in the future, but it has much more immediate effects as well. If something unexpected happens to you, your estate plan should be able to provide for your loved ones’ immediate and long-term care. Especially if you have minor children or loved ones with special needs, your estate plan can make sure they are cared for and safe. An estate plan also does something very important that is often overlooked: by creating a clear communication of your wishes, you can help avoid any potential conflict that arises from a lack of communication and unclear instructions. All too often, a family that loves each other and wants what’s best for one another can find itself in conflict over how to interpret unclear or missing last wishes. Death or incapacity is stressful and often chaotic. It truly is a gift to have a clearly-stated set of plans to follow when the time comes.
Start the New Year Fresh
For many, estate planning is a pot sitting on the back burner, threatening to bubble over. We all know we need an estate plan, but many of us just keep putting it off. You know you should do it, but it never quite feels like the right time. You are always too busy, or you are about to go through a big change, or something keeps you from taking the leap. Here’s the best-kept secret about estate planning: it’s not a leap. It’s strategic. You don’t need everything in your life to be perfect or complete or organized before beginning your estate plan. Messy and disorganized is our wheelhouse! That’s why you hire an attorney to help you create an estate plan. We are here to help you get organized, create a plan, and then amend and adapt that plan as your family and your assets grow.
Incorporate Charitable Giving into Your Plan
The year is drawing to a close, and it is the season of giving. Maybe it’s the chill in the air or maybe it’s a feeling of gratitude that comes from spending quality time with those we love. But something about the holiday season reminds us all of how lucky we are. When you create your estate plan, you can capture the spirit of giving and pass it on for future generations. An estate plan, as much as it is about transferring wealth, is about creating a legacy. By incorporating charitable giving into your estate plan, you can capture your values and what matters most to you. Not only can you use your hard-earned assets to further a cause that is important to you but you can use your charitable gift as a way to share your values with the next generation.
Our Doors are Open
If you have been waiting for a sign, here it is. Our doors are open this holiday season, and we are waiting for you to reach out to us! The compassionate, hard-working attorneys at Wakefield Law are here for you. Let’s create a plan together and ring in the new year right. Give us a call at (703) 771-9740 to make an appointment. Happy Holidays to you and yours!