Estate Planning Your Family’s Legacy
Estate planners love to help families; at least we do. It's why we do what we do. And one of the things we love the most comes with the aspect of the process that leads to protecting a family's legacy and traditions, or even creating new ones for future generations. This part of the process involves a lot more than nuts and bolts and tax avoidance and asset protection; it delves into the real reason you craft an estate plan in the first place; to protect your family. And part of that protection can include their legacy and traditions.
Family traditions serve a number of purposes. Some create a sense of comfort and stability in a family, while others just plain make a family unique and special. Sometimes, they are carried down through a long, rich history, while other times they are more spontaneous; they just pop up and are turned into traditions. They can be a product of fond memories of childhood, from holiday celebrations, or they can be triggered to keep alive the memory of a loved and respected family member who passed away. Some traditions may be based on religion or culture, and may be a mash-up of several traditions, especially for a blended family. More than a few families these days find joy in holiday traditions that sometimes include both a Menorah and a Christmas Tree, or an Easter basket and a Passover Seder.
Whatever traditions your family celebrates, make sure your estate plan reflects those your family holds dear. There's a tendency to think that estate planning is all about the dollars and cents and the distribution of "stuff." However, it's also about preserving what makes your family special. While you want to make sure your family members are taken care of financially when you're gone, there is nothing wrong with also making sure they remember what was important to the family. There is nothing wrong with making sure important family traditions live on after you. We can help you do that, so talk to us about that today.
