Three Things You Need to Know About Death and Dying

When it comes to Idaho estate planning we don’t expect our clients to be the experts they hire us to be. Rather, our goal is to work with our clients and help them to have an understanding of their particular needs so that as we create a customized estate plan for them we know that it will provide the protection to them during their life that they may need. Additionally, our goal is help our clients create an estate plan that will allow them to distribute their property, money, and assets to their family and loved ones in the way that they desire.

For over 70 years, our premier team of Idaho estate planning lawyers have provided these services to numerous clients. In this time, we have learned that no two clients are the same. Every individual has particular needs that make them unique. Our goal is to customize an estate plan that will meet the unique needs of each client.

Our knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced team of Idaho estate planning attorneys includes partners Randy Budge and Lane Erickson and attorneys Nate Palmer and Dave Bagley. Each of these attorneys have assisted numerous clients and their families with their estate planning and probate needs. To assist you in knowing what your estate planning or probate needs might be, here are three specific things that you should know about death and dying in Idaho.

It will likely not come as any kind of surprise that the first thing you need to understand is that there are no free passes in this life. In fact, the common quote is that the only two things in life that are for sure are death and taxes. This quote illustrates the fact that no one is exempt from death. Even if we don’t really want to acknowledge it, we all know with certainty that everyone is going to die. What we don’t know is when that will happen.

For most individuals it is the not knowing about when we will die that is the problem. If we all knew exactly when we were going to die, then it would be easy to create an estate plan that would meet every particular need for us individually while we are alive and also help our family and loved ones after we die. We could avoid all the fluff and unnecessary items and only have the customized estate plan that we really need. However, because we don’t know when we will die, the need for having a complete and well thought out estate plan that considers and includes everything that we may need is what is required to protect us and our family.

The next most important thing that you need to understand is that because you do not know when you are going to die you still have the ability to create a plan that will care for yourself and your loved ones regardless of what arises. As is mentioned above, for over 70 years we have helped clients create customized estate plans for them, their family and their loved ones. Our job as the estate planning attorneys is to look down the road of the future and consider all the worst things that could happen and then create an estate plan that will protect our clients and their family and loved ones from those things to do happen.

As an example, if you are the parents of young children, the worst thing that could happen is that both you and your spouse pass away. This would leave those young children as orphans. When this happens, if there is no estate plan in place, your family could end up fighting over who should be named as the Guardians of your children to care for them and the money, property and assets you may have left to them. Rather than having your death be an opportunity to bring your family closer together, in this situation it could drive a wedge into the relationships within your family.

By creating a customized estate plan, you will be assured that you have protected yourself and your family from the worst things that could happen. More importantly, you will be assured that if you or your spouse were to die, a plan is in place that will help preserve the relationships that exist in your family.

The final thing that you need to know about the inevitability of death and your estate planning is that you can change your plan at any time to meet your current needs. Life doesn’t stand still. Changes are occurring in our lives and in the lives of our family and loved ones all the time. Because of this, it will likely be necessary for you to make changes to your estate plan so that any new needs or circumstances that arise are considered.

We encourage our clients to review their estate planning documents anytime they go through a major life change. We define a major life change to include the following circumstances in your family: (a) a birth; (b) a death; (c) a marriage; (d) a divorce; (e) someone moving away; or (f) just the passage of a long period of time which would be 5 or more years. Whenever there is a major life change that occurs, it is time to read through your estate planning documents and simply ask yourself whether it still accomplishes what you want.

An example of how a major life change could occur in your life could include a divorce. If you and your spouse divorce, then it will more than likely be necessary for you to change your estate planning documents. The reason for this is because you likely would have named your spouse to do certain things for you. You may also have named your spouse to be a recipient, or beneficiary of your money, property, and assets. If you are now divorced from that individual, you will likely want to remove their name from your estate plan.

Our team of experienced Idaho estate planning attorneys have helped numerous clients consider and deal with the inevitability of their own death. We have learned that most clients feel relief knowing that they have a plan in place to care for themselves and their family and loved ones. We are confident that we can help you too!

Our experienced Estate Planning team of attorneys can help you and your family with your Idaho estate plan or with your probate needs. Whether you are seeking your own customized Estate Plan or need a Probate for a loved one who has passed, we are available to discuss your options and answer your questions at an initial consultation. Call us toll free at 877.232.6101 or 208.232.6101 for a consultation with the Racine Olson team. You can also email us directly at racine@racinelaw.net. We will answer your questions and will help you solve your Idaho Estate Planning and Probate problems.