Estate Planning—It’s Not Just for the Wealthy,
It’s for the Wise.

The phrase "estate planning" feels out of date, like we’re watching Downton Abbey — the heiress sipping tea in her gilded parlor, carefully arranging her inheritance.

But the reality?   

Most of us do have an "estate."

It’s just not a castle and rolling pastures. It’s your home (or the mortgage on it), your car, your retirement account, the diamond ring from Aunt Minnie, and that folder full of life insurance paperwork you keep meaning to look through. It’s the guitar and record collection.  Those old family slides you keep meaning to digitize. It’s the dog. It’s your children’s future and financial security.

Why does this matter?  Because if life throws you a curveball—an accident, illness, or worse—others will be left to make life-altering decisions for your children’s care, dispose of your hard-earned assets, and spend the proceeds. Do you want to leave that to chance?

The fact is that if you die without a clear plan outlining who will care for your children and how your assets should be distributed, the government—and potentially your family members—will decide. And if your loved ones disagree, it often leads straight to court, leaving your children caught in the middle.  Think that won’t happen to your family? Spend just one day observing a probate court, and you’ll get a sobering look at human nature and the unfortunate consequences families face when someone dies without a clear plan.

Whether you're married, single, remarried with a blended family, or parenting without a legal tie to your partner, the stakes are too high to leave your wishes unwritten. And no—you don’t need to be rich. You just need to care enough to have a plan.