Organized A to Z Blog

Be Prepared: Focus on Estate Planning

September 21, 2009

Crucial project…

Focus on the estate…estate planning

Regardless of the unexpected, unpleasant episode that sets ones life in a tail spin, the effect upon the family is always the same. It is devastation and chaos.  Therefore it is necessary to always be PREPARED for the unexpected.   ESTATE PLANNING is not for just the wealthy, nor is it to be addressed after death.

Rather it is a life changing subject to be discussed with all family members while you are alive and well.

After having lost my father 4 years ago, my family and I have been involved in a web of endless, inconclusive legal matters concerning our father’s estate. After nine months of attempting to uncover the truths about the will, and speaking with five different lawyers we have unanimously agreed to retain a lawyer to represent my mom.

Essentially this event has paralleled a divorce, without the most important member present to represent himself.
What we have come to understand is that estate law is, as most law in our country, not only a foreign language to most  but also not emphasized enough to families  as a part of planning matters.

There are many featured articles in newspapers and magazines concerning the lawsuits that prevail from misunderstood wills and endless, costly disputes over generations of wealth. With a multitude of complex tax ramifications and forthcoming revisions it is crucial to protect whatever assets the family has worked hard to achieve. It is a pity to have monies be swept into the government channels.

Therefore, do not believe that estate planning is only for those with wealth. Act now , preparation for your protection is about the here and now, NOT the thereafter.

Contributed by Lisa Jacobs:

Lisa Jacobs is passionate about home organizing, fashion, and interior design make overs. IMAGINE IT DONE is the result of that passion. Lisa brings her deep aesthetic sensibilities and good taste to every consulting challenge. Her vast creative and management experience in the US and Europe allows IMAGINE IT DONE to deliver a full spectrum of services. She began her career in New York City working for the chief creative director, Nick Lamicella, of the ad agency Norman Craig&Kummel Inc. Her strengths and reputation eventually brought her to Paris, where she served as assistant to the creative director of Havas World Communications, again overseeing print production and managing talent for Garnier, Chanel and Bourjois. A master of organization and time management, Lisa has redecorated homes from Manhattan to the Hamptons. Lisa is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Visit her site at www.imagineitdone.net.

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