Far too many people put off estate planning because they assume that it only affects those who have a significant amount of assets or confusing issues that must be dealt with in the estate planning process. 
Plenty of different news stories have articulated the challenges that celebrities face in the estate planning process, but the good news is that even you can avoid many of these challenges, whether it’s on the same or a smaller scale, by engaging in the process of estate planning with the help of a knowledgeable attorney.
One of the most prominent stories surrounding celebrity estate planning is Aretha Franklin, who passed away last month with an estate that was valued around $80M without a trust or a will. Although state law will enable the four sons to obtain many of the assets, a niece who helped to handle finances for Aretha during her lifetime has also claimed a portion of the estate. Plenty of other stories illustrate the challenges that celebrities experience and you would assume that many people in this position would have completed their own estate plan with the help of a lawyer.
Unfortunately, if you have done no estate planning you are considered in the majority of people in the United States who have no plan. Estate planning goes so much farther than death planning because a comprehensive approach to estate planning is that you want to control your property while you are alive as well. You want to plan for you and your loved ones if you become incapacitated. And when you pass away, you want to be able to give what you have to who you want and the way you want all at the lowest overall cost to you and those you love.
Unfortunately, attorneys who are not estate planning professionals or who regularly work in other practice areas might not be able to advise you about the most important aspects of estate and legacy planning. Scheduling a consultation with a knowledgeable attorney is the best way to approach these concerns and ensure that your issues have been addressed holistically and effectively. A sit-down conversation with an estate planning lawyer can answer many of your questions and give you peace of mind about what to anticipate.
