New Year - Lose Weight, Go to Bed Earlier, and Get My Affairs in Order

The thought that tomorrow begins 2016 provides many of us with the opportunity to consider our New Year’s resolutions.  While I have had some success with certain resolutions over the years, almost all of those “successes” had been on my lists for multiple years. 

• Lose weight
• Eat healthier
• Go to church regularly
• Start my own business
• Get my affairs in order (estate planning)

While I wish you luck with all of your resolutions, I want to discuss the last one – “getting your affairs in order.”  This euphemism basically means developing a comprehensive plan about how you want your health and financial decisions made if you become incapacitated and ultimately how you want to protect your loved ones at the time of your death.

First if “getting your affairs in order” is not a resolution for the upcoming year then let’s face it - you got issues.  You are likely experiencing denial. You refuse to consider that you are eventually going to die or more importantly, something bad could happen to you without you necessarily dying (such as being left in a persistent vegetative state after an accident or illness).  If this indeed describes you then I am only going to suggest that you add “getting your affairs in order” to your list.  (Relax, 
 don’t actually have to do anything more because after all it is only a New   resolution.)

Now for those of you who have had “getting your affairs in order” previously as a resolution and you find it there again this year, then my first piece of advice to you is “be gentle with yourself.”  Your aspiration indicates you at least realize that you have to get it done.  The reality is however you are likely overwhelmed with everything else in your life and just have not made time to do it.  So here are a few strategies to get you on the road to taking care of your estate plan in 2016.

• GET AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER -  Ask someone to hold you accountable to getting your estate plan done in 2016.  When selecting this person you should carefully consider whether the person will support and encourage you to get it done.   In my experience, adult children can be excellent choices as accountability partners because they realize that the more planning mom or dad does, the easier the process will be on them. 
• ENGAGE IN INFORMATIVE PROCRASTINATION – We all procrastinate.   However we can turn some of that time on Facebook into time visiting estate planning websites such as AARP, Aging with Dignity, the American Bar Association, and EstatePlanning.Com.
• CHUNK-IT – Focus on the process.  Break the process into steps. 
  • Inform yourself with the above procrastination tip.
  • Attend free seminars.  Local attorneys, as well as financial planners and organizations, put on free estate planning seminars throughout the year.  Look for seminars given on the weekends and ask your accountability partner to attend the seminar with you. 
  • Find an attorney.  Collect recommendations from friends who have done their estate plans, other attorneys you already know, and other professionals you are already working with, including: accountants, financial planners and insurance agents. 
  • Investigate the recommendations.  Google the attorney’s name and visit the attorney’s website for more information about the attorney and his or her practice.   Check the local bar to see if there are any complaints filed against the attorney.   
  • Gather your important documents, land deeds, and financial information in a single place so that you can be ready to meet with an attorney.
  • Hire an attorney. After you have narrowed your attorney search, set up appointments with two or three of them.  Most estate planning attorneys will offer a free consultation.  Don’t let cost determine your choice, you are looking to develop a relationship with someone who cares about you and your situation.  This is likely not the attorney, who is competing on price.   

Now for the rest of you who have already gotten your affairs in order, you may want to consider consulting with your attorney again in 2016.  Estate planning is not a onetime event.  So, the question for you and your attorney should be - is your plan up to date  (i.e., in light of changes in the law and your own circumstances, does the plan still achieve the goals you have for you and your loved ones).
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If you need any more personal motivation, give me a call or shoot me an email and we can see what I can do help.  I wish you all the success with your resolutions in 2016!