Читать книгу Estate Planning Through Family Meetings - Lynne Butler - Страница 11

There is no shortage of information available about wills, powers of attorney, and health-care directives and almost every related legal topic. In any given week, you could see a magazine article about retirement planning, a television program about seniors’ issues, a news story about an estate gone terribly wrong, and dozens of blogs on the Internet telling you which documents you should have. Everyone has advice for you. In fact, there is so much information available that there might actually be too much for some people. It can be tough to sort out what information is reliable and what applies to you in your situation.

Public information is often doled out in snippets such as a 500-word magazine article or a four-minute television interview. Although these brief segments are very valuable in raising awareness of a topic, they are not intended to be thorough investigations of complicated legal issues. They are only overviews. Because the possible family scenarios vary so widely and legal advice changes based on the facts, it may even seem that the information you are hearing in these snippets is contradictory to what you have already heard from other sources.

It can be very confusing and frustrating if you have an abundance of information without any guidance for applying it. You may feel that you are not sure if you need a lawyer or an accountant, or both, and if you do, where you might find the right one. You may not be sure exactly what to ask for even if you do find a lawyer. Do you need advice, and if so, what kind? Which documents do you need? Should you set up a trust? Can you do anything to reduce taxes?

It is difficult to get started on a large project of any kind when you are not sure whether your information is correct or even whether you understand the full picture. The end result for most people is that planning is postponed until they have more free time to deal with something that feels immense. Frequently the postponement turns into cancellation and it never gets finished at all. This might be the stage at which your parents find themselves right now.

To narrow down the flood of information to focus on what works for you, and to find reliable, applicable help, try some of the following tips:

• Ask someone you know (e.g., family member, friend, co-worker, neighbor, long-time banker) for names of lawyers who have helped them with wills or estates in the past.

• Always use experts as opposed to generalists when consulting professionals such as doctors, accountants, and lawyers. For example, if you are going to have a full competency evaluation done for an aging parent, it is better to find a geriatric specialist than a general practitioner.

• Go to lectures or seminars held by local lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, or banks that deal with will planning. They will give you local, up-to-date information and advice that is right for your geographic area, rather than information that may be national or even international in scope.

• If you find blogs for professionals who work in your state, province, or territory, read the blogs regularly and ask plenty of questions online.

• Always look at the location of the person writing the articles, books, or blogs to see whether the information will apply to your geographic area. Remember that the law can differ drastically from place to place.

• Decide whom, of all the people offering you advice, you like and trust. Stick with that person’s information and advice and work with him or her as a team. If you accept advice from too many people at the same time, you are likely to find contradictions. The contradictions arise because professionals sell advice, and their advice will be based on their experience, their judgment, the law, and your interpretation of the facts. Whenever judgment and experience come into play, there is room for a difference of opinion on what is best to do. Contradictions will be confusing and stressful for you.

You have already begun the process of planning by reading this book. You will begin to gather your thoughts as you read, and by the time you are finished, you will have a much clearer picture of what exactly your goals are for yourself and your parents, what specific issues might complicate matters for your family, and what needs to be done.