• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About Our Firm
    • Career Opportunities
    • Meet Our Team
    • News and Events
    • Seniors Rock Radio
  • Estate Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Planning
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Family Farm Succession Planning
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • IRA Planning
      • Planning With An IRA
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
    • Legacy Planning Services
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Young Families
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Elder Law Reports
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Veteran’s Benefits
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • FREE Webinars
    • Estate Administration Legal Guide
    • Estate Planning Articles
      • Questions for Your Estate Planning Attorney Before Creating Your First Estate Plan
      • How to Create Your First Estate Plan in 2022
      • How to Choose a Guardian for Your Child
      • Address These Three Questions in Your First Estate Plan
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Adult Guardianship
      • Alzheimer’s Care
      • Custodial Accounts for Minors
      • Estate Planning
      • FAQs for Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Elder Law
      • IRA & Retirement Planning
      • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
      • Legacy Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Medicare and Social Security
      • Probate
      • Probate Avoidance
      • Irrevocable Trusts
      • Trust Administration
      • Trusts
      • Veterans’ Benefits
      • Wills
    • Newsletters
    • Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning for Niches
      • Trust Administration
    • Top Estate Planning Techniques
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Medicaid Planning
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions
    • Medicaid Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Estate Planning Services in Rochester, New York and the Finger Lakes Area

Connect With Us Today

(585) 374-5210
Law Pay Button
Attend a Free Webinar
Home » Estate Planning » Your Estate Plan Will Likely Include The Following Documents

Your Estate Plan Will Likely Include The Following Documents

March 5, 2014Estate Planning

trusts in rochester ny

While it’s true that no two estate plans are identical, it’s also true that almost every plan incorporates the same key documents. Whether you are creating a plan for the first time or updating an old plan, you can expect to include several important pieces. Each of these pieces will be tailored to fit your individual situation. Here is a handful of the most common estate planning documents you can expect to include in your plan.

Your Will

When most people think about estate planning they think about writing a will.  A last will and testament is something everyone should take the time to make once they become adults. Even though most modern wills are used in conjunction with other estate planning tools, no estate plan is complete until you have created one.

Trusts

A trust is often the cornerstone of modern estate plans. Through your trust you can take advantage of significant benefits, such as avoiding probate, minimizing your tax exposure, and keeping your affairs private. There are trusts that can meet very specific needs, such as allowing you to care for a child with special needs. Regardless of the type of trust you create, the document in which you create it, known as a trust instrument, is a vital piece of your plan. In many situations, people choose to create multiple trusts, in which case they will need to create multiple trust documents.

Beneficiary Selections

Some of your property won’t be addressed through your will or covered under your trust. Life insurance policies, pay on death bank accounts, and other assets that allow you to choose a beneficiary can play an important role in your estate plan. These assets will allow you to choose who your beneficiary is by writing your choice on a specific document. You might have a number of these types of assets, and you’ll have to make sure that you have chosen the appropriate beneficiary with each of them.

Letter of Instruction

An estate plan is almost useless if you don’t have others who will be there to make sure your wishes are followed. One of the most important people in your plan is your choice for executor. Your executor will be responsible for managing the probate process, and you can leave him or her specific instructions outside of your will by creating a letter of instruction. The letter is an informal tool that doesn’t have to meet any specific legal requirements. It allows you to informally pass your executor instructions and information without having to worry that you’ve made the letter in accordance with specific laws.

List of Documents

You and your attorney will create numerous documents as you go about the estate planning process. It’s important to keep a list of all of the important documents as you create them. Your attorney will give you advice about how you can safely store these different elements, but having a single list and making sure you know where everything is can give you peace of mind.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Clients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors.
Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney
Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all)
  • How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner - August 31, 2022
  • State Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits - August 24, 2022
  • Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses - August 17, 2022

Other Articles You May Find Useful

How Estate Planning For A Family May Trap The Unwary Practitioner 150x150
How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner
State Income Taxation Of Social Security Benefits 150x150
State Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits
Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses 150x150
Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses
estate planning
Estate Planning in Five Easy Steps
How Do I Trust Thee…Part III 150x150
How Do I Trust Thee…Part III
How Do I Trust Thee…Part III 150x150
How Do I Trust Thee…Part I

Primary Sidebar

Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube

TESTIMONIALS

News & Events

Seniors Rock Radio Show Recording 5-1-21

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U7UkQbEGy-xY7XFAXvX9Qz7pKSVDVV3D/view?usp=drive_web   Author Recent Posts Michael Robinson, Estate Planning AttorneyClients notice Michael Robinson’s unique approach to his estate planning practice the minute they walk through his office doors. Latest posts by Michael Robinson, Estate Planning Attorney (see all) How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner -... Read more →

Pittsford Office

1163 Pittsford-Victor Road, Suite 120 (Powder Mill Office Park)
Pittsford, NY 14534-3817
Phone: (585) 374-5210
Fax: (585) 485-0394

See Larger Map Get Directions

Map

mrobinson_sidbr_map

Footer

  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkdin
  • Youtube
robinson law logo

The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C.

Attorney Advertisement


© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.