Take it from us: thinking about death is very rarely how anyone wants to spend their time. As estate planning attorneys, however, we have learned that it is a necessary evil. In our experience, the clients whose families are best protected long-term are those who have taken the time and energy to carefully think through what will happen in the event of their death. On today’s blog, we consider a topic that is not glamorous but that is still incredibly important: planning for the day after your death.
The day after your death, your loved ones will be grief-stricken and perhaps unsure of where to turn. At McCulloch & Miller, we believe that we all have an obligation to our loved ones to make sure they have as little to worry about as possible when that day comes. When your loved ones find themselves in a funeral home, a hospital, or a hospice center, they will want to deal with as few logistics as possible.
Given that reality, there is a checklist we recommend making now, as soon as possible, that your loved ones can access in the event of your death. This checklist should include:
– Who to call with information about your passing
– Where and how to locate your assets
– A list of financial obligations that your loved ones will need to follow up on
– Usernames and passwords for online accounts
– Locations for important documents, such as passports, credit cards, and birth certificates
– The name and number of your estate planning attorney, who should have access to your will or estate plan
As time goes on, your loved ones will want to know how to plan your funeral and how to distribute your assets. This is where a detailed, clear will or other estate plan comes into play. Immediately following your death, however, your loved ones’ goals will be to get necessary processes moving and make sure the immediate needs are taken care of.
We also recommend going over this checklist with your spouse, children, grandchildren, neighbors, or friends once you have made it. By clearly communicating how you want things to be handled, you can leave very little up for interpretation and you can make sure your loved ones have very few decisions to make once you are gone. To ensure your checklist and your plan cover all of the needs that relate to you, we recommend that you contact an experienced Texas estate planning attorney to talk through your individualized circumstances and the goals that necessarily follow.
Are You Looking for a Houston Estate Planning Attorney?
At McCulloch & Miller, PLLC, we provide peace of mind for those in the beginning, middle, or end of their estate planning process in Texas. We believe in offering high quality, comprehensive services so that you can be sure your plans are thoughtfully laid out and will be expertly executed once you are gone. For a consultation with a member of our team, give us a call today at 713-903-7879. You can also fill out our online form to have a Houston estate planning attorney get back to you as soon as possible.