Things to consider

• Probate
  An estate plan can keep settlement of your estate out of the court system, preserve privacy, and save delays and additional costs.
  
• Minimize Taxes
  An estate plan can minimize the estate taxes mentioned above and ensure that the primary beneficiaries of your estate are your heirs, not the federal government.
  
• Management
  Depending on the financial responsibility or sophistication of your survivors, you may want to provide for management of the assets you are leaving to them.
  
• Distribution to Children
  You may want to specify a distribution date tied to age, provide for management, or establish a trust.
  
• Insurance
  Personally owned insurance is included in your gross estate and therefore may add to the estate taxes due at your death. There are ways to make certain that insurance serves your objectives rather than adding to your estate's tax burden.
  
• Growth
  If your estate reaches the point at which fifty cents of every dollar of growth is lost to taxes, you will want to provide for transfer of that growth to your heirs rather than the federal government.
  
• Business Continuity
  An estate plan can provide for continuation of a family business and for equalization of the distribution to children not active in the business.
  
• Disability
  Your estate plan can provide for someone other than a court to be involved in the management of your affairs should you become incapacitated.
  
• Health Care Decisions
  Through your estate plan you can name someone to make health care decisions on your behalf and subject to your wishes in the event you are not able to communicate them.
  
• Charitable Giving
  You can use an estate plan to divert tax dollars to the causes you choose.
  

ESTATE PLANNING QUESTIONNAIRE: Effective estate planning requires that all relevant information concerning your personal, family and financial situation be assembled. This form as been prepared to aid you in organizing that information. If insufficient space is provided for any information, please include it on a separate sheet.