A comprehensive estate plan in Washington, D.C., is much more than just a will. In fact, some aspects of your estate plan can’t be covered by your will at all. With the help of an attorney, you’ll need to prepare a set of official documents that plan for the end of your life and beyond.
What should you include with your estate plans?
Many people don’t know that they can plan for their funerals as part of the estate planning process. Your estate planning attorney may help you write a document that makes funeral arrangements, discusses your final wishes and details how you want to pay for the funeral. You’re not legally obligated to pay for your own funeral, but it can take a lot of stress off your loved ones’ shoulders.
You might also want to make plans to distribute assets that aren’t worth much but have sentimental value. For example, you might want to pass along family photos, clothing, furniture and inexpensive heirlooms. You can include another document in your estate plans that distributes these assets to your loved ones. If you don’t plan for these assets, your family members might just take whatever they want from your property.
Once you’ve completed your estate plan documents, you need to store them in a safe location. Make sure you keep all the documents together so that they’re easy for your loved ones to find. Your attorney might recommend that you get the documents notarized.
What about the rest of your estate plan?
Contrary to popular belief, your estate plan is much more than a will. Depending on the size of your estate, your estate plan could have a dozen documents or more. An attorney may help you keep everything organized and periodically update your estate plans to make sure they’re still accurate.