Most of us think of an estate plan as a set of documents that direct what will occur if we die.  There is much more than the "stuff" we pass on--those material things we gather during our life.  While the “stuff” can bring enjoyment or rekindle happy memories, it is only one part of our legacy.

If you died unexpectedly before your children are grown, what would you want to tell them when they reach those important milestones in their life—dating, high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, and becoming a parent?  If you could sit down and talk with them, what would you tell them?  How do you ensure that knowledge is passed to your heirs?  What about those religious values you wanted to pass on to them?  What about that conversation you intended to have with them about how religion has been an important part of your life?

A good friend died tragically at a young age leaving behind school-aged children.  Unfortunately, he will never have those conversations with his children.  But you can preserve those thoughts, wisdoms, lessons learned, and proud moments, for your children to see, hear, and read many times over.  At the Kisselburgh Law Firm, leaving legacies is part of our estate planning process.

Randy Pausch, a college professor, recently gave his last lecture which received a lot of press.  He has terminal pancreatic cancer.  Randy recently turned his lecture into a book, The Last Lecture, with the hope to leave something for his children long after he is gone.  He gets it.  Although he can leave his children financially secure, he wants to ensure they have something much more valuable--the lessons learned, the childhood dreams realized, and those conversations they would never have.  As he stated in his book, "I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash upon on the beach for my children."  The advantage for him is time--time to plan and leave these legacies.

We all have time right now to plan accordingly.  The problem is the majority will not act on those plans.  Why?  The answers are numerous, but there is a basic reluctance to think about one's death.  Remember, none of us know when we will die, but all of us know that we will one day.

You may not write a book for your loved ones, but you can record those lessons for your family to share years from now.  Remember, the legacy we leave is much more than money.  Make sure you also pass on your wisdom and love after your death.  As part of our estate planning program, the Kisselburgh Law Firm can assist you in creating those legacies.