Estate planning in Richton Park, Illinois is simply the act of deciding what you want to happen to your assets after your death. It normally entails making plans about funeral arrangements, as well as plans for end of life care.

While the drafting of a will (the document that dictates what is to be done with the decedent's property after death) is normally the central component of any estate plan, there are several other elements which you may want to include, depending on your goals, and your financial situation.

Besides a will, a quality estate plan will include a living will, which gives your doctors and relatives instructions concerning your healthcare in the event that you become incapacitated, funeral arrangements, and instructions on organ donations.

Most vitally, an estate plan should give instructions on the care of your minor children. It should lay out who is to take custody of them, and, if possible, leave them a large sum of money to assist with this care. Of course, you should discuss this matter with the people who you want to take custody of your children, to make sure they can really take on such responsibility.

What Type of Estate Plan Do I Need in Richton Park, Illinois?

Obviously, the answer to this depends on many factors, as well as your goals and preferences. However, most people, when deciding what type of estate plan they need, consider their health, age, and wealth.

If you are young and unmarried, estate planning probably doesn't need to be on your radar, unless you are very ill, independently wealthy, or perhaps if you work in a very dangerous job, such as the military.

If you are unmarried, but have a life partner in Richton Park, Illinois, estate planning is crucial, if you wish for your life partner to be treated as if he or she were your spouse (to the extent possible). In such a situation, the estate plan should make arrangements to give your life partner power of attorney in case you become incapacitated. Your will should also clearly include your partner (if you wish for them to inherit any of your assets).

If you are very old, and have a substantial estate in Richton Park, Illinois, you should definitely come up with an estate plan if you haven't already. Admittedly, this contains confronting some unpleasant and morbid subjects, but it is still very crucial. Estate planning is essential if you care at all what happens to your property, and, more importantly, your loved ones, after you die.

Do I Need a Richton Park, Illinois Estate Planning Attorney?

In Richton Park, Illinois, estate planning is rarely simple, even if it's not the most convoluted thing in the world. Given the importance of what's at stake (the financial security of your loved ones), a good estate plan is essential, as is the help of an attorney who specializes in wills, trusts, and estates law.