Five reasons why you should be thinking about estate planning:

1. Peace of mind for yourself. Thinking of a Last Will or a Trust can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. When you execute a Last Will, Trust, Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney, you are laying out your wishes during life and after death.

2. Peace of mind for your family. When dealing with an incapacitation or death of a loved one, carrying out wishes can be very difficult if there is no road map. When everything is laid out, that is one less thing your family will need to worry about.

3. A designated plan for all of your property whether real or personal. If there are family heirlooms to be kept in the family, or real property you want to pass on in a certain way, a Will or Trust is very important way to make sure that happens.

4. Manage assets if you become incapacitated. A Durable Power of Attorney and Living Will are two very important documents to consider when Estate Planning. A Durable Power of Attorney designates who can make important financial decisions for you if you become incapacitated. A Living Will gives important medical direction to your doctors such as, for instance, the denial of extraordinary life sustaining treatments.

5. Protecting your family. The Oklahoma laws of intestate succession will be followed in probate if there is no Will or Trust. That means that your property may not be distributed how you would want it to be if you had planned ahead!