Simple Now may Equal Difficulty Later

Everything should be simple. We should follow the KISS method of keeping it simple, and there is much to be said about that. When you know what you want, you should be able to merely write it down and then wait for it to happen.

But life is not simple. And estate planning can become complicated, really fast. The issue is that when a trust or a will is written, the attorney needs to look at both today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, law school did not hand out crystal balls. A good attorney, who listens to your goals, will address the short and long term. A good attorney will help find that happy balance.

I had a case where the client kept things seemingly simple. His will left each of his three children one item of approximately equal value. He had two parcels of land, and one life insurance policy. The attorney who wrote this plan did what was requested. However, when the client finally passed away, the two parcels of land had been sold to pay for his nursing care. So only one of his children received an inheritance (the life insurance policy). Though the will was simple, it seems to have missed this client’s intention.

He had a simple plan with a complicated outcome.

My job is not to keep the page count low.  My job is to achieve your actual goal by making it as easy as possible for your loved ones navigate through your estate when the time comes.

This means that a well drafted estate plan contemplates as many of the potential variables as possible. I would build in flexibility to handle the things you may not even think about.

This is how we can make your plan “simple.”