Estate Planing

Estate Plan should be made and then should be carried out, meaning all the I’s dotted and t’s crossed. Currently I have an estate  matter and the gentleman died young and unexpected at age 59 years old. He was well off but had chosen to do some of his own estate planning and signed agreement to do certain transfers of assets. However he never took this plan to a lawyer to effect the transfers and everything was left hanging. Or it is our understanding that he never took his plan to a lawyer because if he did take it to a lawyer, that lawyer is now looking at a negligence suit, and that is an option that is being investigated. This rule applies to Testator  as well as lawyers to do what is required in a timely fashion. When someone comes in to do an estate plan it does depend on their age. Discussion time and consulting with other professional for someone in there 80’s or 90’s is much shorter than someone in their 40 or 50’s unless there are health issues. For someone in there 80’s or 90’s I like to get a estate plan out in a week or two and for younger people a couple of week to a month. However once I get the draft out, the Will and Power of Attorney I follow up but it can wait months or a years if people fail to answer and eventually I will close my file.