The end of the year is fast approaching, and with it come all of the holiday preparations that must be made.
Among dinners to plan, travel arrangements to make, and gifts to buy, your end-of-life care and disposition of your assets are probably miles away in your mind.
But now may be the perfect time to stop and consider what will happen to your loved ones when you pass away, especially if you don’t have an estate plan in place.
Reasons to Think About Estate Planning This Holiday Season
There are several reasons why you should find time amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays to consider your estate plan. These reasons include:
Holidays and Estate Planning Are About Family and Children
You will likely see family members this holiday season, so it makes sense to think about how the care and well-being of your loved ones would be maintained if you weren’t there to provide for them.
Since children are a focal point of the holidays, it gives you an immediate reason to think about who would guide and provide for your children in the event of your sudden passing. Consider how an estate plan could help provide for the cost of college or other expenses in your absence.
By contrast, depending on your family dynamics, you may be reminded of individuals, such as estranged parents or children, who could benefit from your estate and assets without an estate plan in place to protect them.
Giving Is on the Mind This Time of Year
Another reason the holidays are an appropriate time for thinking about your estate plan is that it’s the season of giving.
When you die intestate, your assets are divided among your heirs-at-law. Without a will or trust in place, any instructions you give to your loved ones regarding gifts to organizations or specific individuals will be difficult to enforce.
If you have an alma mater, charitable organization, or person you would like to leave part of your estate to, crafting an estate plan is the surest way to accomplish that goal.
It’s a Time to Wrap Up Unfinished Business
As the holidays close, it’s a time for getting the year’s affairs in order and preparing for a new year. This can also be an opportunity to consider an estate plan, which details your final affairs and how you would like them handled.
Having a will or trust in place now means that your family members and loved ones will not need to worry about who is responsible for administering your estate or debating how you would want property distributed.
You may have avoided estate planning in the past out of fear that the process is tedious or time-consuming. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
With a knowledgeable estate planning lawyer’s help, the process is manageable. The necessary documents can be generated and executed in short order and you can start the new year with your family’s future secure.
Get Your Affairs in Order with Help from an Estate Planning Attorney
The team at OC Wills & Trust Attorneys is here to help make the estate planning process accessible for all. We will listen to your needs and show you how a carefully crafted estate plan can provide security and certainty for your loved ones.
If you’re in the Orange County area or elsewhere in California, we can help. Contact OC Wills & Trust Attorneys today and get answers to your questions about estate planning. We’ll help you take care of this important task so you can rest assured that your loved ones will be in good hands.
