Ample room for inclusion in an estate plan, including for pets

The estate planning realm can easily surprise individuals and families considering it for the first time, giving them an unexpected appreciation for its truly broad utility.

We underscore that at the established Middle Tennessee estate planning and  administration law firm of Cook Tillman Law Group in Brentwood. We note on our website that, if you are a planner, a timely and tailored strategy can help ensure “that your intentions are honored with respect to your family, finances and future.”

Many people of course know that a sound plan centrally contains a will and often deals closely with matters like inheritances, property transfer, the disposition of a business and charitable/gifting considerations.

Planning can also address myriad other concerns too, though, like the appointment of an agent to act for a planner in key health care and financial matters in the event of the latter’s incapacity. An estate plan can name a guardian to act on behalf of children should that become necessary, and provide for a loved one with special needs. Family legacies are addressed through planning instruments. So too are lawful tax avoidance, privacy interests and expressed desires for loved ones both currently and in future generations.

And here’s a point, too, that easily merits mention to virtually any audience in Tennessee or nationally: Americans love their pets, with those cherished companions often being considered integral family members. It is absolutely natural that an individual planner or couple would want to ensure that one or more animals that have enriched the family experience for years are protected and provided for throughout their lives.

Estate planning can do that, and in a number of ways. We will take a closer look in our next blog post.