2 Things You Should Not Include With Your Estate Planning Documents
A wide variety of different types of information must be included with your estate planning documents. But, there are other types of information that cannot, and really should not, be included with your estate planning documents.
Going over the two most notable things you should not include with your estate planning documents, and speaking with an estate planning lawyer at the Millhorn Elder Law Planning Group, will allow you to develop a truly effective estate plan.
What Is An Estate Plan And What Are Estate Planning Documents?
Right before we go over the two things your estate planning documents should not include, we must first define what an estate plan is and, in turn, the purpose that estate planning documents serve.
Your estate is all the property that you own, prior to its distribution. Some of the different types of property that you may own and, as such, wish to distribute, is as follows:
- A car.
- A boat.
- A house.
- A 1861 Liberty Head Gold Double Eagle.
To ensure that all of this property is distributed, you must develop an estate plan. And, with that idea in mind, an estate plan is a plan that clarifies the ways in which your property will be distributed, in the event of your death.
Every estate plan is composed of different estate planning documents. Some of the most useful, and common, estate planning documents include a will and a trust, among various.
No matter the exact document that comprises an estate plan, the exact purpose is almost always identical: to ensure that your property is distributed in a manner that aligns with your wishes.
2 Things You Should Not Include With Your Estate Planning Documents
01: Account Numbers
A great deal of your property may be contained within financial accounts of varying sorts. But, even though this is the case, you should not include any of your account numbers within your estate planning documents.
The act of including your account numbers within your estate planning documents can lead to these account numbers becoming public, if your estate goes through probate or another public process.
Outside of the above, if your account numbers are accessible to anyone, then it is possible someone may attempt to access them and steal the funds.
Rather than including your account numbers within your estate planning documents, you can, and should, give it to those you trust. Developing a power of attorney, with an individual whom you trust to act on your behalf, is one way of ensuring that your account numbers are safe and that the terms of your estate plan will be abided by.
02: Social Security Numbers
You must include the names of your chosen beneficiaries within the estate planning documents that comprise your estate plan. But, this doesn’t mean you should include the social security numbers belonging to those people.
Rather than including the social security numbers of your beneficiaries, you can simply include their legal names and their contact information.
If you do include your beneficiaries social security numbers, there is a possibility that, if these documents become public, that those beneficiaries could become the victim of identity theft.
Speak With A Florida Estate Planning Lawyer
You must speak with a Florida estate planning lawyer, if you wish to develop an effective estate plan. We will assist you in developing an estate plan that satisfies your needs.
Sources:
millhorn.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/
law.cornell.edu/wex/trust
