4 Reasons You Absolutely Need a Will

Everyone talks about why you should have a Will; here are four bulletproof reasons you must have one!

You've heard it all before, you should have a Will or estate plan. Less than 40% of people in the U.S. do, which given how much we hear about it is alarming. Well, it's true, you SHOULD have a Will or estate plan and here are four reasons you MUST.

1. So everything that happens is your choice.

There is nothing more important than having what happens to you and your property and family be a result of your own choice. Now some of my more esoteric friends claim that everything that happens is a result of our own choosing, but that's not the point here. What this reason refers to is having what happens during your disability or upon your death be outcomes that you choose and not those that are chosen for you by politicians, inappropriate family members or strangers.

2. Keeping the politicians out of your family's business.

If you have a Will and/or plan you control who is involved and what happens. But if you don't, all bets are off and you, upon disability and your estate upon your death are under full control of the Courts where you live. I don't know anyone who is happy with that.

Also, why wait for politicians to solve your issues. If you are in a State that doesn't permit domestic partnerships or same sex marriages, why wait for politicians to protect you. You can do it all yourself, privately, elegantly and effectively.

3. Your kids go with whom you choose, not a foster family.

Need anymore be said on this point?

4. Your plan = your plan, not some politician's plan or unwanted family member's ideas.

When you have your own plan, you design it, construct it and own it. Everything that happens is a result of your own choices. With our society the way that it is, why not keep things the way that you want? Who wants to be on the TV news?

There you have them: 4 bulletproof reasons you MUST have your own Will or estate plan. If you want to know how any of this applies to you, just send me an email to: bgreenberg@kgattys.com or call me at: 303-688-3535.

Thank you for your interest and I look forward to your joining our conversation.

Bernie Greenberg

Helping Your Clients Overcome Tax Planning Paralysis | American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys - Blog

Many people are unaware of how significant the tax changes coming at the end of this year actually are. This article (just click the link below) is an excellent summary of several of those and I encourage you to read this and pass it along to family and friends.

Unless Congress acts, these changes are in the law and will be the law on January 1, 2013. You can protect yourself and your family by being aware of the changes and taking actions now.

Helping Your Clients Overcome Tax Planning Paralysis | American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys - Blog:

'via Blog this'

Let me know what your thoughts are. If you want to know how these changes may affect you and your family, please send me an email at: bgreenberg@kgattys.com or call me at: 303-688-3535.

Thank you for your interest in estate planning and I look forward to your joining our conversation.

Bernie Greenberg

A View From the Estate Planning Trenches

A View From the Estate Planning Trenches-Big Surprises Ahead for the Unprepared!

Many things are happening in the world of estate planning. Much depends on our elections in November, and I'll have more comments about that in the future. Here in the estate planning trenches, I thought I would share some things I have noticed recently you might have missed.

First, I hope you noticed that my law firm has merged with another law firm. The new firm is called KOKISH & GOLDMANIS, P.C. It is very exciting, we have a busy and vibrant office with some of the best lawyers around. It is wonderful for me to be able to continue my work specializing in estate planning and estate and trust administration, while also being able to offer a whole range of other legal services to my clients. Simply put, if you need a lawyer for anything, call me and I'll get you to the appropriate person who can handle your case.

Second, I am seeing an alarming number of people who either don't have a Will or estate plan of any type, or who haven't reviewed existing documents for a very long time. Since National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD),is April 16th, this is surprising. If you don't have documents, or don't have your plan yet, it's time to start.

Third, National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), is April 16th. This day is sponsored by DocuBank and is all about making sure that your healthcare decisions are known and are carried out should something happen to you. It's about protecting yourself and not placing an undue burden on your family if you haven't communicated your wishes. Call me at 303-688-3535 and I'll help you get started.

Fourth and last, pretty much everyone I speak with is ignoring the estate tax asteroid aimed at them come January 1st of 2013. Under current law, millions more Americans will become subject to a 55% federal estate tax unless Congress and the President come up with a new solution. Whether that will happen is a subject for another article. For us, it means that if you rely on politicians to protect your assets and family, you are at risk. Again, call me and I can point you in the right directions to see how this tax law impacts you.

So that's the current view from the estate planning trenches. What do you see from your spot? Let me know, and please feel free to join our conversation, I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Bernie Greenberg
303-688-3535