Estate Planning

Estate planning is arranging in advance how your assets, dependants and medical decisions are handled if you die or lose capacity. The minimum viable version is four documents: a will, a durable power of attorney, a healthcare directive, and up-to-date beneficiary designations. Trusts are added mainly to avoid probate, control timing for young beneficiaries, or manage estate tax. The most common failure isn't complexity, it's staleness — a beneficiary form naming an ex-spouse overrides a newer will.