Estate Planning Awareness Week

The Importance to You and Your Loved Ones of Having an Estate Plan

In 2008, Congress recognized the need for the public to understand the importance and benefits of estate planning by passing House Resolution 1499, which designated the third week of October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week.  Still, according to a 2021 survey conducted by Caring.com, only 33 percent of adults in the United States have prepared any estate planning documents. This isdespite the fact that approximately two-thirds of the respondents viewed such documents as somewhat or very important.[1] Many respondents attributed their lack of estate planning to procrastination, but many others indicated a mistaken belief that estate planning is not necessary because they do not have many assets. At Gotto Law office, we believe our clients need to protect what matters most so that their families are well taken care of.

Why should you have an estate plan?

An estate plan can provide significant peace of mind by ensuring that your money and property are protected, plans are in place in the event you become ill, and your accounts and property pass down according to your wishes.

What key elements of an estate plan should you consider?

  • Do you have a last will and testament or a trust? If you do not have these important documents, state law will determine who will inherit your property—and it may not occur in the way you would have chosen. In addition, someone appointed by the court, instead of a trusted person of your choosing, will be in charge of caring for any children or pets and winding up your affairs. Spelling out your wishes in a will or trust will also prevent unnecessary confusion, anxiety, and expense for your loved ones when you are gone. Coping with the loss of a loved one is difficult enough, but the legal hurdles that follow surrounding estates can further contribute to anxiety and stress.
  • Are the proper powers of attorney in place? A financial power of attorney designates an individual to make financial and property decisions (e.g., opening a bank account, signing a deed, getting your mail, etc.) should you become unable to handle your own affairs. A medical power of attorney designates a person you trust to make medical decisions for you when you are otherwise unable to speak for yourself.
  • Ensure that you have an advance directive, also called a living will, which memorializes your wishes concerning your end-of-life care, such as whether you want to receive life support if you are in a vegetative state or have a terminal condition.
  • Do you have insurance? If you become incapacitated (unable to manage your own affairs) or die, it is important for your family or loved ones to have information about your insurance (such as life, health, disability, long-term care, etc.) so they can file any necessary claims. Having the right amount of coverage is also important in case you become ill or die, leaving behind loved ones who rely on your financial support.
  • Compile a list of all of your accounts and other important information that may be needed to manage your accounts and property while you are incapacitated or to settle your affairs after you are gone. Keep this information in a safe place and share the location only with trusted family members or other loved ones. This list should include at least the following information:
    • bank and investment accounts
    • titles to vehicles and homes
    • credit card accounts or loans
    • digital accounts (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) and passwords
    • Social Security card, passport, and birth certificate
  • A list of legal, financial, and medical professionals who have performed services for you is also important. The list should include their contact information so your loved ones can easily reach them in the event you or they need the professional’s help. You should also have HIPAA authorizations in place with medical professionals to ensure that your loved ones can obtain needed information.

How can you encourage your loved ones to create an estate plan?

Estate Planning Awareness Week is a great opportunity, not only to take steps to make sure your own estate plan is in place, but also to talk to your loved ones, especially elderly parents, about creating an estate plan. Estate planning is often a difficult topic to broach because it brings the unpleasant topics of aging and death to the forefront of our minds. Probate and estate litigation can be time consuming and complicated, by trusting a well experienced lawyer, we can help guide you through the process. Not only do we have years of knowledge on these topics, but we genuinely want what’s in your best interest and to help guide you in the easiest way possible.

Here are a few tips to help you start the conversation.

  • Be sensitive to your loved ones’ feelings. Put yourself in their shoes and keep in mind that few people are eager to dwell on the subject of their own death. It isn’t a fun topic, but unfortunately it is inevitable and preparing ahead of time is crucial. One way to begin the conversation is to talk first about the need to plan for an illness and to provide instructions in the event they become too ill to communicate with doctors or handle financial matters for themselves. The conversation can then progress naturally to the importance of having an estate plan that will transfer their money and property in the way that they wish, provide for the care of any dependents or pets, and minimize any taxes, court costs, and legal fees. Communicate that you are not trying to control their decisions but only want to ensure that their own wishes regarding their medical care and property are known—and that all of their instructions are in writing to guarantee that they are carried out.
  • Involve others in the conversation. If you are planning to speak to your parents about the need for an estate plan, try to include any siblings in the discussion to avoid giving the impression that you are attempting to influence or control your parents’ choices. You and your siblings should emphasize to your parents that none of you is asking about what you will inherit, but rather just want to make sure that their wishes are carried out if they become ill or pass away.
  • Consult an estate planning attorney. An experienced estate planning attorney can help you and your loved ones create an estate plan tailored to meet each of your unique needs and carry out your wishes, or they can assist with updating an existing estate plan. We can provide each person with guidance and information about the options available to them. Further, we can help each of you put a plan in place that will prevent unnecessary stress, legal expenses, and taxes, as well as uneven inheritances, disputes among loved ones, and delays in passing life savings on to them. In addition, the guidance we offer will give you and your loved ones the peace of mind that comes with knowing that plans are in place for your care if any of you become ill and that your wishes will be honored when you pass away.

We would love to hear from you and discuss what we can do to assist you in any of these matters. If you’re interested in more information, give us a call or e-mail so we can set up a consultation to discuss your personal interests. We can assist you in the options that exist within estate planning, as well as help execute your wishes through proper legal resources.


[1] Daniel Cobb, 2021 Wills and Estate Planning Study, Caring.com, https://www.caring.com/caregivers/estate-planning/wills-survey/ (last visited August 17, 2021).

New small estate limits for 2020

Effective January 1, 2020, personal and real property valued under $166,250 may not need to go through the probate process. Previously, personal and real property had to be valued under $150,000 to be exempt from the lengthy probate process. If the decedent’s personal and/or real property is believed to be under $166,250, the petitioner (i.e. a spouse or child) can request a court order which determines the petitioner has succeeded to the personal and/or real property of the decedent. Additionally, starting on January 1, 2020, any heir or beneficiary of the decedent can file to transfer title of the decedent’s real property so long as the real property is valued under $55,425. Previously, this was only an option if the decedent’s real property was valued under $50,000.

These adjustments will be readjusted on April 1, 2022 and then again in 2025. While there are adjustments to the value cap of the personal and real property of the decedent, there are still other restrictions that must be met to avoid the probate process.

Review your estate planning documents

EricEnfermero [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
EricEnfermero [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
A recent client of mine had an existing estate plan that he and his wife had prepared decades before.  I have changed the details, but the substance is the same.

He wanted to make changes to his estate plan.  He thought that under his current estate plan, he was giving his baseball memorabilia to his brother and his jewelry to his nephew.  He decided now that instead wanted everything to go to charity.

When I reviewed his estate plan, I found that his estate plan didn’t say any of that!

He had used a mail-order estate planning service, similar to many internet services of today.  There were documents he had sent to the mail-order service, and those documents said what he wanted, but his wishes hadn’t been incorporated into his estate plan.

The lesson here is that even if you already have an estate plan, read through it, and ensure that what you want is going to who you want.  You only have one legacy.  Be sure to secure it properly.

Estate planning is dead?

I came across an article in Forbes today called “Estate Planning is Dead.”  It is dangerously misleading about the need for a proper estate plan, but buried under all of that is the true message that Mr. Scott, the author, believes and was trying to deliver.  And it is a message I can get behind.

That message is that traditional estate planning isn’t about you, it is about what will happen when you die.  It is a plan based around the two great inevitabilities: death and taxes.

Estate planning, with the proper planner, can and should be more.  It should be about your legacy.  What you have brought into this world, and are still bringing into this world.  Proper planning is more than a snapshot of who you are.  It is a projection of what you will be and a plan to be even more of who you are.

Meeting with clients, many have to take a deep breath and say something like “Here we go!” when they start to make their plan.   It feels more like they are about to jump out of an airplane instead of making a sound financial decision.  But it is a sound decision, not just for the estate, but for YOU.  As estate planning draws to a close, my clients feel relief, secure in the knowledge that they can live their lives with a significant chunk put finally in its place.

Dare to reorient your thinking about estate planning.  Think about YOUR future.

Anthony Bourdain’s Will Reveals A Rarely Considered Asset Category

Famous food critic Anthony Bourdain’s fortune, initially reported at $16 million, is being probated in New York at $1.2 million.  This could be just misreported information, but often travelers like himself will have offshore assets that will not be probated in America.

In addition to his cash and tangible assets, most of which was left to his daughter, he left his frequent flyer miles to his wife.  Not all frequent flyer programs will allow miles to be passed on, but if you travel as often, or even a tenth as often as Anthony Bourdain, this is another area to consider when making an estate plan.

How do I change my will?

Everything changes in time, including what we have and who we want to give it to.  Changing your will is not overly complicated, but it is important to do it the right way.  There are a few ways to do it.

  • Add a codicil to your will

A codicil is an addendum that adds to or changes the terms of your will.  Like a will, the document must be witnessed by two uninterested witnesses.  It should be kept with your will, and you should let some trusted people know where it is and that it exists.

  • Rewrite your will

Since most wills are short documents, rewriting a will can also be done relatively quickly and simply, as long as all of the legal requirements of writing a will are met.  The old will should be phyiscally destroyed, and the new will takes its place.

Protecting your digital assets

It is a brave new world of digital assets.  Instead of trekking to a rental store for physical media, now we merely boot up our computer, turn on our television, or flick on our phone to access digital assets in libraries with more content than our local rental store could ever hold.

Our photos fill digital albums, and so does our music and our correspondence.

When someone passes away now, we can’t sort through their memories (the music and movies that spoke to them, the photos they kept, the letters they wrote) without access.

Getting access and keeping access depends on where the assets are stored.

Facebook:  Facebook allows users to add a legacy contact to their account.  This person will be able to pin photos and change your picture after you pass away, but they won’t be able to post as you.  A relative can also remove the account after you pass if you don’t want it online anymore.

iTunes and Amazon digital assets: Your iTunes music/videos and Kindle books are nontransferrable assets since they are only licensed.  That means that when you pass away, nobody else gets to use them.  If you want your loved ones to have access to these assets, you should write your passwords in a password manager or a secure location and give the information to your executor.

Google (Gmail, photos, etc.):  Google has a tool called the “inactive account manager” which allows you to pass everything Google to someone if your account becomes inactive for a preset period.  I use three months.  It also allows you to send a final text message to the executor regarding the account.

If you have questions about setting any of this up, or other estate planning issues, contact Gotto Law today.

New tax laws means it is time to review your estate plan.

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act signed into law on December 22, 2017, doubled the estate tax exemption.  So nobody needs an estate plan any more right?  Unfortunately not.  This doubling is not slated to last forever, and depends highly on who is in control of congress when the bill sunsets in a few years.

You should look at this instead as a window to make changes that could save you millions.  If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you should review your estate plan with an attorney.

  • Did you get married or divorced?
  • Did your spouse pass away or become incapacitated?
  • Are there any new children in your family?
  • Did any of your beneficiaries have any of the above changes in their family, or do they have any new financial problems?
  • Are your designated fiduciaries still able to fulfill their roles?
  • Did you sell or buy any significant assets?
  • Did you move to a new state?
  • Did you retire?

To speak about any of these changes with a responsive, qualified attorney, click or call today.

New Tax bill means some will have to review their estate planning documents.

The new estate tax bill doubles the amount of federal estate tax exemption, so now there is no estate tax on estates up to just over 11 million.  That means that if you sit in the 5-11 million range (or 10-22 million range for couples), you should be contacting your financial planner or estate planning attorney to review your estate planning documents, because you may be leaving money on the table.

One major gotcha is that this is only true from 2018-2025, so absent congressional action, the amount could revert to just over 5 million.  Still, there are some planning techniques to be used in the meantime to ensure that you get the tax savings even if there is a reversion.

Other key estate planning provisions remain unchanged, importantly the property step-up value at death.