Estate Planning Isn’t Just For Married People

The majority of my estate planning clients are married couples. For them, it just seems the natural thing to do. However, estate planning for singles is just as important. While a single person may have to do some things differently, they still need to have an estate plan to avoid problems that will naturally arise during times of incapacity or after death.

Most single people do not own assets jointly with another person. By contrast, married people will naturally add their spouse to financial accounts and real estate to ensure continued access to accounts upon the disability of one of them, and the efficient succession of ownership upon the death of one of them. For singles, adding another person’s name to a financial account or real estate may have unintended consequences that can be disastrous.

When a single becomes incapacitated, access to, and control of their assets become matters for the courts to determine in the absence of documents that will allow for someone to step into their shoes with legal authority to manage their assets and affairs.

Without a will or trust, the laws of the state of his or her residence will determine how their assets are divided and distributed after death. This will necessarily require the involvement of the courts along the way.

To avoid these pitfalls, it is important for singles to put together a estate plan, just like married people do. A comprehensive estate plan will consist of 5 key elements: a will; durable power of attorney; medical power of attorney; trust; and beneficiary designations.

The will is the cornerstone of any estate plan. It allows you to name the person who will guide the administration of your estate after your death; to specify how your assets will be distributed; and to name a guardian for your minor children.

A durable power of attorney lets you appoint someone (your “agent”) to manage your day-to-day affairs if you cannot do so for yourself. Whether this person is a parent, sibling, or close friend, it must be someone you trust implicitly.

A medical power of attorney lets you appoint someone to make medical treatment decisions for you if you cannot do so for yourself. This authority can extend to end-of-life decision making. Again, the person you appoint should be someone you trust to follow your wishes concerning medical care and to be a strong advocate for you.

A trust will allow for long term management and control of assets during your lifetime and simplify the distribution of your assets upon your death. Trusts are typically used to maintain privacy, avoid the probate courts, and minimize the effect of taxes on asset distribution after death.

Finally, beneficiary designations control the distribution of assets such as life insurance proceeds and retirement accounts. If you don’t have beneficiaries named, those assets are typically paid to your estate. In the case of retirement accounts, not naming a beneficiary can result in significant income taxes being levied. If the beneficiaries are out of date, those assets are still going to go to the people named, even if you no longer want them to receive those assets.

If you are single and don’t have an estate plan in place, it’s not too late to put one together. Work with an estate planning attorney who can develop an estate plan tailored to your individual circumstances.  Give me a call, I can help.