Lee R. Schroeder is an Ohio licensed attorney with Schroeder Law LLC in Ottawa. He limits his practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. He can be reached at lee@leeschroeder.com or at (419) 523-5523. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.
Our neighbors can inspire and motivate us to consider investments, vacations and other improvements for our lives. In addition to discussing potential improvements and purchases, it’s great when neighbors discuss their estate planning experiences to encourage each other to properly identify their wishes for their surviving family and friends. But it’s important to keep in mind that while your neighbor may have what sounds like a great plan in place, your life may be different enough that another model would be a better choice for your estate plan. It’s important to discuss your estate planning with an attorney who can help you make sure you’ve made the right choices.
Neighbors sometimes motivate us. Neighbors get a new car, and we start to consider whether we should invest in one. Similarly, if the Smith family’s trip to Disneyland last year was so good, should we do the same next year?
That human nature also applies to estate planning. In light of the money that people pay to have attorneys fix problems that could have been avoided, I always encourage clients to share their estate planning experiences with their friends and neighbors. Let’s hope every person has the chance to identify their wishes, ensure a legacy (financial or otherwise) for their surviving friends and families and have peace of mind when life’s other stresses necessarily become the only focus.
Read more about estate planning in Lee’s article in the Lima News here: Legal-Ease: Keeping up with the Jones’ estate planning
Source: LimaOhio.com, “Legal-Ease: Keeping up with the Jones’ estate planning,” by Lee R. Schroeder, December 12, 2015