1.         Who should manage your Estate (and, if applicable, Trust) when you die?

2.         Who should be named as Guardian of the person for any minor children who survive you? 

3.         Who do you want to receive your assets when you die?

4.         Who should be named as your Agent in your Durable Power of Attorney for financial matters?

5.         Who should be named as your Agent in your Health Care Power of Attorney to make medical decisions for you if you are not able to make them? You will want to include full legal names, addresses and all contact phone numbers for the first and any alternates that you wish to name.

6.         Do you want a Living Will, which is also called a Declaration for a Desire for a Natural Death?  This document allows the doctors to remove you from life support.

7.         List specific questions or concerns you want to discuss with your estate planning attorney?

For Questions 2-5, you should also consider naming alternates if your first or second choices are not available or fail to act.

8.         You should also review the value of your assets and how they are titled with your Estate Planning Attorney. This will include whether you own the asset alone, or jointly with someone, or name beneficiaries. For assets that name beneficiaries, you should also confirm who are named as the primary beneficiaries and alternates.  The purpose of this review will be to ensure that your assets will go to the beneficiaries that you want them to, discuss whether you want to or can avoid or limit Probate and estate death taxes, and to determine whether or not Trusts would be appropriate to achieve your goals. (For further information about this you may read the Article posted on HarwellLawFirm.com titled “Ownership of Assets.")