May 8, 2015

Whether you’re an individual setting up your plans for your loved ones to receive assets after you pass away or a business owner trying to work through the basics of succession planning, this process goes far beyond just creating documents. 

One of the most common steps skipped in this process has to do with what happens after you have your valid documents. If your loved ones can’t find them after you pass away, this could generate a lot of confusion or even disagreements between family members who are concerned about the most recent and valid versions of your materials.

Working with an estate planning attorney is a good first step, but even if you follow all the planning by the book, you leave a lot of room for error if you don’t have the conversation with family members about your intentions and about where the relevant documents are located.

This is more important than ever as a result of digital assets, because while you might provide access to information for accounts linked to a bank, what about your social media accounts? Paypal? Other online accounting information? All of these should be carefully considered as part of your plan if you rely on them for storing any kind of asset, even if it may just be personal information, like photos. Make sure you’ve talked through all your accounts and options with an estate planning attorney. Our office is here for you at info@lawesq.net.