Have you ever wondered how people will remember you? Have you ever thought of the people that inspired you or whom you may have inspired?
As an estate planning attorney in Phoenix, Arizona, I often let clients know that one of the most important documents you can ever have is not a legal document. Rather it is a letter you write to your children and grandchildren, letting them know the type of person you are, and the type of person you hope they become. In fact, I would argue that a full estate plan is not complete without such a letter.
Have you ever considered what you would want your children to know about the qualities that your parents lived their lives by? Or the sacrifices you made so that they could have a better life? What about precious stories from your life or your parents life; stories which would be lost if they weren’t written down? This is an opportunity for you to decide what you want to leave as your legacy? How do you want to be remembered?
Another method to continue your legacy even after you’ve passed on is through charitable giving. Charitable giving is a way of not only addressing potential estate planning issues, but can also be a way to communicate to your family and your community the things that are important to you. There may be an organization that helped you, or someone you knew, through a difficult time. There may be a charity that you have admired for their purpose and activities. You can use your estate planning to show appreciation and to give back to those organizations.
Not long ago, a friend of mine in Mesa, Arizona lost a child that had been suffering from a significant illness. While the tragedy had a devastating affect on their family, it also provided a new purpose to their lives. They now actively support a foundation that they created at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. These activities not only help to keep their child’s memory alive, but have impacted the lives of dozens of families whose children have been afflicted with the same disease. Because of this experience, and many others like it, I too have joined the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation. Their legacy has started a chain reaction that is affecting many people’s lives for the better. Yours can too!
This is only one example. If you take the time, you can think of many ways in which your life has been impacted by others. The real question, however, is how you want to impact the life of your family, now and in the future. Make sure that you have an estate plan that takes into consideration everything you have, and everything you are.
If you would like information on how to create your Legacy Plan, please contact Morris Hall, where helping our clients is not just our profession, it is truly our passion.
Why Choose Morris Hall?
You have a number of options when it comes to estate planning, so why pick Morris Hall? First off, estate planning and asset protection are a very complicated endeavor and you should only trust someone who focuses exclusively on those matters. Also, MH is a proud member of The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) which provides us additional support, advanced training, tools and information that is not available to others – which means that we can better protect your assets and your loved ones. We are one of only two firms in Arizona that belong to the AAEPA and are the only firm in that has been granted membership. If you have assets and loved ones that you want to protect, you are in good hands with MH. Contact us today at 888.222.1328 to schedule an appointment!
Contributed by MH attorney West Hunsaker
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
This blog should be used for informational purposes only. It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.
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