By JEFFREY J. MCKENNA
While our young children stayed with grandma, some years ago, as a young couple, my wife and I excitedly boarded a plane. As the plane’s engines screeched into take off mode, my wife’s excitement had vanished; she locked my hand in a vice grip and said, “I hate this. What if something happens to us?”
At that moment, I didn’t think it was the right time to explain the intricacies of our estate plan. I am glad, however, that we had one.
As a new year begins, many people make plans and New Year’s resolutions. If your plans include travel or even if they don’t, you may want to make and keep a resolution to update or get an estate plan.
As an estate planning attorney for twenty years, I have prepared thousands of estate plans. Some for young couples with minor children, others for older individuals with adult children or single individuals with no children. In every case, an updated estate plan provides peace.
Peace comes in knowing you have done everything you can to help ease the often strenuous, financial and emotional circumstances related to death.
I emphasize updated estate plan, because very often a plan that may have been perfect for you and your family five or ten years ago, may not now be adequate.
Although you cannot remove all the emotional stress and burdens that come when someone dies, you can help eliminate much of it. I have told many clients upon the completion of their estate plan, “You have done all you can to help make things easier for those you love.”
So, as this new year begins, review your New Year’s resolutions. You may want to add one that can bring peace to you and great benefit to those you love.
Jeffery J. McKenna is a local attorney serving clients in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. He is a shareholder at the law firm of Barney McKenna Olmstead & Pack, with offices in Mesquite and St. George. If you have questions you would like addressed in these articles, you can contact him at (702)346-1615 or jmckenna@barney-mckenna.com.
