Thorough Planning Can Help your Family During Probate
Following the death of a loved one, many family members are able to effectively step up and handle the deceased’s final affairs, take over the family business, and more. However, too many family members are quite lost during the complicated probate process1 and may not even realize the number of issues involved. You can largely help take the pressure and stress off of your family members by thinking ahead and having a thorough estate plan set out that addresses any applicable matters.
At the Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess, our experienced Seattle & Tacoma probate attorneys can help you develop an estate plan that is right for you and for your family. Call one of our offices today in Seattle at (206) 621-1110 or in Tacoma at (253) 572-1000 for a free consultation.
Accessibility of accounts
Most of us have numerous types of accounts with a wide variety of institutions. If you pass away, your family members handling probate will have to be able to locate and access these accounts in order to wrap up your estate. However, your family may not even know some of these accounts exist. Therefore, you should always include accessibility information in your estate plan regarding the following and more:
- Bank accounts—including savings, checking, and money market accounts
- Investment accounts
- Business interests
- Brokerage accounts
- Insurance policies
- Social media accounts
- Credit cards or other credit accounts
- List of all of your assets and where they are located
You should not only provide information regarding the location of your accounts and your account numbers, but also any security codes, login Ids, passwords and more so that your family will be able to access your accounts online.
It may be difficult for you to even remember all of your various accounts, especially online. However, failing to provide such important information can make the process of probate substantially more complicated for your family. For this reason, you should always consult with a lawyer who has experience in estate planning and probate so that you do not overlook certain information that should have been included and add unnecessary stress on your family following your death.
