037: What are the Seven Critical Times in Life That Require Estate Planning?

If you think that estate planning is something that can wait until your more “mature” years, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, many people share this same impression. After all, what is there to plan for if you have no spouse, no children, and only modest assets?

Plenty!

There’s much more to estate planning than merely deciding who gets your assets and other possessions when you die — putting it off until your later years isn’t a sound approach. Change is part and parcel of living, and as we move through life, we experience changes that can thoroughly alter our circumstances and require an entirely different approach to the future.

In the newest episode of A Place of Possibility, Richard and Angela will be talking to estate planning attorney Kelly Balamuth, who, with her years of experience, is well-qualified to not only weigh in on the life changes that should trigger a thorough review of your existing estate plan but also to provide sound, real-world advice on when you should start the estate planning process in the first place. Hint: it’s earlier in life than you might think.

In her estate planning practice at Lamorinda Legal, Kelly puts an emphasis on helping families enhance their lives in the present while also guiding them toward brighter, more fulfilling futures. Her focus on trusts and estate planning is driven by a strong desire to see her clients reach these goals. Guiding her clients through the often-confusing maze of financial and legal decisions that must be made to create estate plans which best suit their needs is no easy task, but it’s one at which Kelly has proven to be particularly skillful. She’s been named Super Lawyer each year for over a decade and has also been a fixture on the Super Lawyers’ Top 50 Women Attorneys in Northern California list for multiple years.

We’ll be talking about:

• Why, estate planning is for everyone, including young adults and single people!
• The important documents that any child should complete once they’ve turned 18 — especially if they’re leaving for college.
• The various ways that having children can impact your financial planning. You’ll not only want to closely examine who you want your heirs to be but also how you leave your assets to them.
• Why getting divorced triggers a number of essential adjustments to your estate plan. You don’t have any flexibility when it comes to moving your assets around once you’re in the divorce process, but there are a number of changes you can make that could have a direct bearing on your legal, financial, and medical well-being.

And more!

Few of us actually look forward to starting or reviewing our estate plans — there’s nothing exhilarating about the process, and doing so often serves to remind us we won’t be around forever. But, as you’ll hear from Kelly in this episode, some key life stages warrant a closer look at your preparations to ensure that they still accurately reflect your wishes. And, if you’re still of the opinion that estate planning isn’t necessary until you get married or reach your golden years in life, we’re confident that Kelly will change your mind.