A Gift that Goes Beyond Lifetime

As Christmas approaches and more families gather together, it is a great time to remind everyone about the importance of legacy. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas or some other holiday tradition, having a plan in place for your legacy can help ensure that those you hold dear can continue to enjoy the spirit of the season without worry. When Christmas rolls around, it’s the perfect time to talk to your family about estate planning. It’s important to plan for your future, and the conversations you have with loved ones this holiday season can help you maintain meaningful traditions in your family while leaving behind a legacy that speaks to who you are.

The Christmas holiday is a time that celebrates life, brings out tradition, and unifies family and friends. Make this season full of love and joy while also ensuring that your loved ones know that you have a plan in place. Creating your legacy will ensure that you have a loving legally enforceable plan in place in case the unexpected occurs. Discussing estate planning will give your loved ones the opportunity to learn about their future roles and responsibilities. It also helps your family prepare for the possibility of future changes, such as death or disability. We all want to celebrate during the holidays, but there are times when we should also be thinking of our family members and loved ones. Discussing personal estate planning matters can help families organize their future now, rather than later.

One of the best gifts you can give is to make sure your financial and legal affairs are in order and that the people you love and trust the most know what to do in the event of the unspeakable happening. Here are a few things you can do to prepare for your estate planning conversation with your family this holiday season.

• Get organized.
• Gather all your important financial and legal documents and secure them in a safe place such as a home safe or locked file cabinet. Create a list of where all your most important documents are.
• Also, create a list of all the important people that need this information and their contact information.
• Finally, share this information with those people that you trust the most.
• Ensure your wishes are followed and thought out well.
• An Estate Planning attorney can help you ensure that you are prepared for all end-of-life scenarios as well as scenarios in which you are incapable of making your own decisions for your well-being.
• Make sure that your trusted people have your estate planning attorney’s contact information.
• Plan for your legacy.
• Your legacy is much more than what you own, it is the story behind the family photos and the traditions you have with your family. Make sure you are preserving your choices for your legacy and that you have thought out every aspect of what you want to leave behind.

As always, your trusted Jacksonville attorneys and team at Three Oaks law are here to guide you through any estate planning process. Please call us at 904-397-4444 if we can be of assistance in any way. We hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!