Last year, I made a pact with myself to get back in touch with one of my oldest hobbies: reading. Last last year, I posted my reading list from 2022. I got such a wonderful response from that blog and was so grateful to share in the book-club-style discussions that followed over recent weeks.

I find that many of us had similar relationships with reading. And, that many of us wanted to return to a thriving reading habit sooner rather than later.

I know I’m not alone in wanting to prioritize habits that don’t involve my phone or a screen.

This got me thinking about my estate planning practice.

In my practice as a Louisiana estate planning lawyer, I collaborate with forward-thinking professionals on ways to pass their values and prosperity to the next generation.

My estate planning services provide a complete protection plan for your family.

I know you’d do whatever it took to make sure your loved ones are taken care of after you’re gone.

But, how much do you know about what the process actually looks like?

When it comes to low-stakes decisions (like telling a kid how to spar), we seem to have no problem yelling out advice, even if we have no personal knowledge or experience in the area. 

But for high-stakes decisions (like estate planning), I've seen people become paralyzed in the decision-making process. 

Sometimes this inability to choose is referred to as decision paralysis or analysis paralysis. In my estate planning practice, I call this planning paralysis.

Cute name aside, this can be a serious dilemma for a lot of people.

Even if you aren’t exactly sure what Estate Planning is, you’ve probably heard of a will.

In fact, you’re probably even familiar with the ‘reading of a will’ - where the family is gathered as a lawyer formally reads the will out loud, doling out cash amounts and houses to the surviving family members.

Depending on the movie, this is probably a scene where there’s some shocking revelation or plot twist, right?

Let’s talk about what an estate plan really does and what actually happens after someone passes away.

When being named the executor of someone’s estate, it can feel overwhelming. It’s important that you know what’s required before the time comes for you to take action. 

Let's talk about what the executor's role is.

I was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. The heart of Cajun Country. When I was growing up, my grandparents lived next door to us. There was rarely a day without a visit to or from someone in the extended family. There was always lots of talking, cooking, and always something to celebrate. Growing up, the family indulgence was season tickets to Saints games in the fall.

My biggest epiphany this year: read more books!

I can hear past Addie now: “Who has time for that, though?”

The changes have been noticeable in the 6 months that I’ve started reading more.  I’m thinking more clearly, my thoughts feel less jumbled, and I’m able to articulate my thoughts much easier. For me, it turns out that spending 200-300 pages engrossed in a world or idea is way more relaxing than swiping through articles on my phone (- go figure!). 

Hiring an Estate Planning attorney can be a daunting task for everyone, even for experienced lawyers like me! I’m going to give you my top helpful tips for what to expect when you're working with an Estate Planning lawyer. Last year, I had the experience of hiring a lawyer for some matters beyond the scope of my practice. It was fascinating being on the other side of the legal desk because it gave me insight into an experience not many people have on a regular basis. I am grateful to know what it’s like to be both an attorney and a client, and think it’s important to share my insights with you! 

However, another thing that the Secure Act did was it got rid of what was called “the Stretch IRA”. Prior to this law going into effect, if someone died and their child inherited a retirement account from them, the child could then use their own life expectancy to decide how much they needed to take out of the account. So if you had a 38 year old child, you had 45 years to take the amount out, as needed over that time. If you think about that, that money is growing as it's sitting in that account. So it was a great opportunity to pass wealth on to children. But unfortunately the Secure Act did away with this “Stretch IRA.”