will and estate planning

you're going to die without a plan

this is the adult task that everyone knows they should do and almost nobody actually does. creating a will, setting up a trust, designating power of attorney — it feels morbid, complicated, and easy to postpone.

and then someone dies unexpectedly. and their family spends years in probate court fighting over assets while the government takes its cut. don't be that person.

why this matters now

you don't need to be wealthy to need estate planning. if you have any assets — a house, a car, savings, investments, even sentimental items — you need a plan for what happens to them when you die. without one:

• the state decides who gets what, based on default laws that may not reflect your wishes
• estate taxes can consume a significant portion of what you leave behind
• your family fights — nothing tears families apart faster than money and ambiguity
• your dependents suffer — if you have kids, who takes care of them? if you don't specify, a court decides

the basics you need

a will

the foundation. specifies who gets what, who handles your estate (executor), and who raises your kids (guardian). without a will, you die "intestate" and the state's default rules apply.

power of attorney

designates someone to make financial and/or medical decisions on your behalf if you're incapacitated. not dead — incapacitated. a stroke, an accident, a coma. who pays your bills? who decides your medical treatment?

trusts

more sophisticated than a will. a trust can help minimize estate taxes, avoid probate (which is public and slow), and control how your assets are distributed over time. especially important if you have significant assets or complex family situations.

life insurance

if people depend on your income, life insurance ensures they're covered when that income disappears. term life is usually sufficient and surprisingly affordable when you're young and healthy.

stop procrastinating

this takes a few hours and a conversation with an estate attorney. the cost is minimal compared to the chaos of dying without a plan.

you can't control when you die. you can control what happens after.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.