Everyone has distinct intentions when they plan their estate. While some prefer to spend their last dollar on their final day, others prefer to live modestly and save money to leave possessions to their loved ones. Others wish to tightly regulate the manner and timing of disbursements to their beneficiaries, while some people desire to leave their entire inheritance to their children outright. Finally, others still want to donate most of their estate to a charity. Then what should be the primary goals of an estate planning attorney? Let’s understand it below.  

What purposes do estate plans serve?

A goal is a broad directive or declaration of what you hope to accomplish. You amass real and personal property during your lifetime and tangible and intangible assets. It is helpful to consider what you would like to happen to those pieces of property, both during and after your life, when you start the estate planning process. It is also helpful to consider the type of legacy you want to leave inside and outside your family.

Why make goals for estate planning attorneys?

Everyone has heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will lead you there,” ascribed to the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. These rules will help you focus the estate planning process if you try to describe specific objectives. Professionals aware of your goals are more likely to provide sound advice. As a result, documents will be assembled and written correctly. Additionally, it is more probable that you will fulfill all your wants and achieve all your goals in the long term.

We are setting primary goals for estate planning attorneys.

Writing “SMART” objectives is a typical acronym for writing goals. According to this acronym, goals should be SMARTER (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Oriented). Setting “SMART” goals call for being as explicit as you can. The less specific your goals are, the less likely it is that anything significant will get done. Here are a few illustrations or justifications:

1. Specific:

“I want to leave gifts to charitable organizations” is not as specific as, “I will leave ten percent of my estate to the church of which I am a member at the time of my death, and ten percent to the college in my hometown.”

2. Measurable:

“I want to provide for my family” is not as detailed as “I want to leave a large enough bequest to cover my three grandchildren’s college expenses.”

3. Achievable:

A goal’s ability to be reached depends on the resources available to attain it, such as if the resources are accessible to pay for the children’s or grandchildren’s college educations (for example, life insurance).

4. Realistic:

Leaving a legacy to help pay for a portion of a college degree, launching a business, or purchasing a home might be more practical, depending on your assets.

5. Time-oriented:

Some of your estate planning objectives call for a window of time to begin and finish the procedure. Give yourself clear deadlines to complete critical activities rather than saying, “I’ll start my estate planning process this year”: “By March 31 of this year, I will have a documented inventory of my assets completed.”

Estate Planning Goals 

• Ensure my spouse’s financial security.
• Ensure my children’s or grandchildren’s financial security.
• Give each of my children an equal share of my estate. Give family members interests.
• Transfer ownership of a company or other assets with the least amount of transfer tax to family, friends, or workers.
• Give individuals in charge of estate administration sufficient funds and continual financial flow.
• Reduce current and upcoming income and transfer taxes.
• Give to a favored cause. For example, spend money on your children’s or grandchildren’s education.
• Ensure there is a sufficient safety net in place to cover lifetime contingencies like disability or a spouse’s death.
• Avoid paying for administration and probate.
• Stay away from legal issues or conflicts with other parties, such as taxes officials.
• Keep your entire estate plan flexible so you can respond to unforeseen events.
• Maintain control over or make sure assets are managed skillfully.
• Reduce exposure to obligations that can deplete one’s resources. Make sure that assets eventually go to the intended recipients.
• Refrain from arguing with your family or fellow business owners.
• Avoid making your estate plan, as well as the exact methods you choose to carry it out, too complicated.