What Documents Do You Need When Meeting with an Estate Planning Lawyer?

Your estate refers to the assets and properties you amass over your lifetime, and estate planning allows you to pass the fruits of your labor on to those who mean the most to you – in accordance with your wishes. In other words, your estate planning reflects your legacy, which makes it worthy of very careful consideration, and an experienced Florida estate planning attorney can help to ensure that you get it right.

Preparing to Meet with Your Savvy Estate Planning Attorney

If you’re ready to address your estate planning needs and are preparing to meet with a skilled estate planning attorney, gathering your documentation ahead of time will help you make the most of your initial meeting. To begin, it’s important to consider the basic estate planning tools, including:

Your last will and testament, often simply referred to as your will
Any revocable trusts that you create and fund during your lifetime and retain the power to revoke or modify at any time
Any irrevocable trusts that you create during your lifetime and relinquish the power to amend
Any advance directives that name agents who will make specific medical decisions on your behalf – in the event you’re unable to
Any durable powers of attorney that, upon signing, allow agents of your choosing to make decisions in your place, whether you’re incapacitated or not

The estate planning tools you implement will be guided by your unique circumstances and wishes.

Gathering the Documents You Need

To engage in effective estate planning, you’ll need to gather specific documents.

An Inventory of Your Assets

To begin, you’ll want to create an itemized list of your assets, including real estate, accounts, financial tools, collectibles and heirlooms, vehicles, art, furniture and fixtures, tools, appliances, recreational vehicles, and beyond. If it has value, it should go on the list. Along the way, you should make notations about those items you want to leave to specific people or charities. It’s also important to note possessions of sentimental value, such as family photos, and how you would like them to be distributed.

Financial Records

Another important concern is compiling a list of your financial records, including account numbers, usernames, passwords, and beneficiaries. Prime examples include:

Retirement accounts
Insurance policies
Debts
Your memberships and the charitable organizations you support
Any transfer on death designations

Finally, don’t forget to bring a copy of any prenuptial or postnuptial agreement you may have in place – as well as your own list of questions for your estate planning attorney. Taking the time to prepare yourself for this important endeavor helps to ensure that your wishes will be upheld when the time comes.

An Experienced Florida Estate Planning Attorney Can Help

The practiced Florida estate planning attorneys at Mickey Keenan P.A. dedicate their imposing practice to skillfully protecting our clients’ legacies and to the peace of mind this affords. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact us online or call 813-737-7148 today.