Estate Planning Isn’t Just About Death

Estate Planning Isn’t Just About “Death” (or Just for Seniors)

Estate planning is about control, clarity, and care—during your lifetime and afterward. It’s your plan for who can help you if you’re injured or ill, who receives your property when you’re gone, and how to ease stress and costs for loved ones.

Waiting until “later” often means those decisions are made by default laws, courts, or relatives who may not reflect your wishes.

Key Benefits at Any Age:

• You stay in control of your choices—medical, financial, guardianship, and legacy.

• You reduce family conflict, court delays, and expenses.

• You protect loved ones who rely on you—children, partners, aging parents, or pets.

• You make things simpler, faster, and more private for those you leave behind.

• You align beneficiary designations, insurance, and business plans with your goals.

Estate Planning by Life Stage:

Single Adults – and Everyone Else

Why It Matters:

Regardless of your circumstances, everyone deserves to have their wishes honored—both after they’re gone and during times when they can’t speak for themselves.

• If you pass away without a will, the State of Georgia will distribute your property under state law.

• If you become ill and unable to make decisions, and you don’t have a Healthcare Directive or Power of Attorney, the law requires your “next of kin” to be contacted to make decisions for you.

• Having just these three essential documents allows you to maintain control over your decisions and property.

Essentials:

• Healthcare Directive

• Durable Financial Power of Attorney

• Will

Note: This is your starting point. Everyone age 18 and older should have these three essential documents in place. Below are additional considerations depending on your life stage and family circumstances.

Families with Minor Children

Additional Considerations:

• Appointing a guardian for your minor children should be clearly outlined—not left to the courts.

• Review and update beneficiary designations for insurance policies and investment accounts.

• Consider whether your estate plan should include a trust to manage and time distributions for your children as they grow.

Families with Adult Children

Additional Considerations:

• As you age and your responsibilities expand, incapacity planning becomes increasingly important.

• Was your estate plan created when your children were minors? It may need to be updated to reflect your current family dynamics.

• Decide whether to name one of your adult children as executor or to include grandchildren as beneficiaries.

Blended Families and Later-in-Life Partnerships

Additional Considerations:

• Does your estate plan account for the relationships between biological and stepchildren, and your partner or spouse?

• If you remarried later in life, have you clarified rights and expectations among your partner and adult children to avoid future conflict?

Caregivers, Special Needs, and Aging Parents

Additional Considerations:

• Will you leave assets to someone with special needs who may require assistance managing them?

• Have you considered how your plan would function if you or your spouse were to receive a memory loss diagnosis or face long-term care needs?

Business Owners

Additional Considerations:

• Does your operating agreement include a succession plan, and is it consistent with your estate plan?

• Have you identified a key person to continue operations if something happens to you—and ensured they have access to critical information (bank accounts, vendor logins, etc.)?

Final Thoughts:

Estate planning is an act of kindness to your future self and to the people you care about. Whether you’re 18 or 88, single or partnered, just starting out or well established, working with an attorney to create a thoughtful plan brings control, clarity, and peace of mind.