Estate Planning for Middle-Aged Individuals
Sept. 30, 2022
Middle age – a period after young adulthood but immediately before the onset of old age – is a crucial period in the lifecycle of every individual. This is a time to reevaluate your beliefs and values, expand your commitment to loved ones, accomplish other desired life goals, and prepare for your later years. While trying to navigate through this critical period, you can prepare for life’s uncertainties and protect your accumulated assets and loved ones by drafting an estate plan that fits your unique needs.
At DeChello Law Firm LLC, we’re committed to offering experienced legal counsel and knowledgeable advocacy to middle-aged adults in estate planning-related matters. Our skilled Connecticut estate planning attorneys are available to discuss your situation and concerns and help establish a personalized estate plan that best suits your unique needs and goals. We’re proud to serve clients across North Haven, Connecticut, and throughout New Haven County.
At What Age Should Someone
Consider Having an Estate Plan?
This phase of life between the ages of 40 and 60 is a period when a person experiences gradual physical, social, and cognitive changes. Middle-aged individuals may have to question their goals and life choices, deal with adult children, certain physical and mental health issues, as well as the associated grief of losing their parents.
At this critical period of your life, you need to start putting together a comprehensive estate plan that suits your personal needs. A well-detailed estate plan can help you and your family members anticipate the difficult and unpredicted events of life. An experienced attorney can guide you through the estate planning process and work intelligently to address your needs and concerns.
Common Concerns for
Middle-Aged Estate Planners
As mentioned earlier, middle adulthood is a critical stage in every individual’s life. As your perspective on life continues to evolve, your estate planning priorities will also change. Here are some common estate planning concerns for middle-aged adults:
Determining the ideal estate plan
Failing to plan your estate, financial future, and legacy
Discussing estate planning with family and friends
Choosing a designated beneficiary or the number of beneficiaries to name
Making provisions for the powers of attorney and healthcare representatives
Including digital assets in the estate plan
Making donations and gifts to charities
Funding trusts
Planning for debts and taxes
Making provisions for children with special needs
Planning for long-term care
Essentially, it is advisable to create a well-detailed estate plan that addresses all your needs and concerns. A trusted estate planning lawyer can educate you about some vital documents to include as part of your estate plan.
Key Elements of a Middle-Aged Estate Plan
As a middle-aged adult who is thinking about drafting your estate plan, here are some vital documents to include in your plan:
Will
A will, or a last will and testament, is a legal document that gives specific instructions about how your property and assets should be handled, transferred to loved ones, or disposed of upon your death. You will name a personal representative in your will to help manage the assets once you’re gone. If you die in Connecticut without a will, your assets will be distributed using the state’s intestacy succession laws. Most people wish to control what happens to their assets after they die, so a will is essential to achieve that goal.
Trust
A trust can be described as a fiduciary relationship that allows you (the grantor or trustor) to give someone else (a trustee or successor trustee) the authority and legal duty to manage the trust assets upon their death or sudden incapacitation for the benefit of the beneficiaries. A trust allows an individual to impose some controls on the disposition of their assets after they die. The trustee will administer the estate and distribute assets to beneficiaries in accordance with the provisions of the trust documents.
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a legal document that allows a person (the principal) to grant a dependable person (the attorney-in-fact or agent) the power, legal authority, and duty to make important legal, financial, property, and healthcare decisions on the principal’s behalf.
Advance Directive
An advance care directive is a legal document that allows you (the principal) to indicate your preferred medical treatments and procedures in advance should you become unable to communicate your medical wishes as a result of a critical illness, disability, or sudden incapacitation.
Generally, everyone, including young, middle-aged, and older adults, can benefit from having an estate plan. A reliable attorney can help evaluate, adjust, and update your estate planning documents to make sure that they are in line with your present wishes.
How DeChello Law Firm LLC Can Help
Preparing for an uncertain future can never be too early. As you begin to reevaluate your life’s choices and work to achieve your other goals, it is also important that you start planning for your remaining years. Should you be the victim of an unexpected incident, your surviving loved ones can benefit and achieve peace of mind from knowing your true wishes. An experienced estate planning attorney can enlighten you about your available options and help you decide which estate plan is right for you.
At DeChello Law Firm LLC, our attorneys have devoted their careers to advising and guiding middle-aged adults through the complex procedures involved in estate planning. We take pride in making the estate planning process simple, organized, and easy to understand. Our trusted legal team can help you understand the different estate planning solutions that are available to you and recommend the ideal choices for your unique needs. Also, we will help create and update your will, living trust, powers of attorney, advance directives, and other vital estate planning documents.
If you need proper guidance when drafting your estate plan, contact DeChello Law Firm LLC today to schedule a consultation. Our skilled attorneys can address your goals and concerns diligently and walk you through every step of the estate planning process. We proudly serve clients across North Haven, Connecticut, and throughout New Haven County and the State of Connecticut.