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Estate Planning Awareness Week
This week, October 19 to 25, is National Estate Planning Awareness Week. It is a good reminder of something I see every day in my practice: most people do not avoid estate planning because they do not care. They avoid it because it feels big, emotional, and hard to start.
So let’s make it small. Here is one simple step for each day of the week. None of them requires a lawyer, a law degree, or more than a few minutes. By Sunday, you will know far more about where you stand, and you will be ready for a real conversation about your plan.
Monday: Take Inventory
Start with a simple list of what you own and owe: your home, bank and retirement accounts, investments, life insurance, vehicles, business interests, and any debts. You do not need exact values. The goal is a clear picture, because a plan can only protect what it knows about.
Tuesday: Check Your Beneficiary Designations
Retirement accounts, life insurance, and many financial accounts pass by beneficiary designation, outside of your will. Many people are surprised to find an ex-spouse, a parent who has passed, or no one at all listed. Log in and look at who is named today.
Wednesday: Think About Your People
An estate plan is really about people. Who would you trust to handle your affairs? If you have minor children, who would you want to raise them? Who would make medical or financial decisions if you could not? Write down the names that come to mind, and a backup for each. Our post on choosing an executor is a helpful companion for this step.
Thursday: Plan for the Unexpected
Estate planning is not only about what happens after you pass. An accident or illness can leave you unable to speak for yourself at any age. Today, find out whether you have a financial power of attorney and a healthcare directive, and when they were last updated. Not sure how they differ? We explained it in Power of Attorney vs. Healthcare Directive.
Friday: Map Your Digital Life
Email, photos, banking apps, social media, crypto: so much of life now lives behind a password. Make a list of your important accounts and where the people you love would find access information. Store it somewhere secure. Our post on digital assets after death walks through what to consider.
Saturday: Write Down What Matters
Documents carry legal weight, but your values and wishes give them meaning. Take a quiet moment to note what matters most to you: how you hope your children are raised, causes you care about, who should receive meaningful heirlooms, and who will care for your pets. Yes, your pets can be part of your plan, too.
Sunday: Have the Conversation
Share what you learned this week with your spouse, partner, or a trusted family member. Then decide on your next step, whether that is creating a plan for the first time or reviewing one that has not been touched in years. A plan the people you love know about is a plan that can actually work for them.
From Awareness to Action
Seven small steps will not replace a complete estate plan, but they turn a big, vague task into a clear starting point. That is exactly where our Life & Legacy Planning Session begins: with your life, your people, and what matters most to you. From there, we build a plan designed to keep your family out of court and out of conflict, and we keep it current as your life changes.
READY TO CREATE YOUR LIFE & LEGACY PLAN?
Enliven Law serves individuals, single parents, couples, and business owners throughout Denver, Colorado. There’s no pressure – just a conversation about your future.
This is general information, not legal advice. Consult an attorney about your specific situation.
Estate planning attorney at Enliven Law, helping individuals, families, single parents, couples, and business owners across Denver and Colorado create plans that protect what matters most.
Enliven Law · (303) 900-1003 · enlivenlaw.com