Is Your Estate Plan Missing Important Elements?

Do you currently have a will? Whether you are thinking about making a will with assistance from an estate planning lawyer in Connecticut, or you already have a will, you might assume that a will is all you need in order to have a thorough and complete estate plan. This is a common misconception, especially given the frequently circulating myth that other aspects of estate planning are only for wealthy individuals, or for individuals who are ill. In fact, nearly all Connecticut residents should consider additional elements of estate planning beyond a will. To be clear, a will is essential, but you should likely be considering additional documents and tools, as well. Our Canton estate planning lawyer can discuss the components that your estate plan could be missing.

Advance Directives

Advance directives are crucial for all Connecticut residents to have in their estate plan, yet many people have never even heard of them. Advance directives are specific legal documents related to medical and health care that allow a person to make decisions ahead of time about care they do or do not want to receive, and to identify a person they trust to make important health care decisions on their behalf. Advance directives are essential if you want to be sure that your wishes about your own health care will be honored if you become incapacitated and cannot voice those decisions yourself any longer.

There are multiple types of advance directives in Connecticut, including:

• Appointment of a health care representative (naming a person who can make important health care decisions for you if you cannot make those decisions yourself);
• Living will (a document through which you can clarify the types of life-prolonging treatment you do or do not wish to receive in the event you have a terminal illness);
• Document of anatomical gift (through which you can ensure that your organs will be donated for any or specific purposes); and
• Designation of a conservator of the person for your future incapacity (through which you can name a person who will make important decisions on your behalf in the event you become legally incapacitated in the future).

Beneficiary Designations 

A recent article in The New York Times cites beneficiary designations as something that many people are currently missing in their estate plan.

Many different types of bank accounts and insurance policies allow the owner to designate a beneficiary. What this does is that it allows the beneficiary to receive the assets upon the owner’s death without those assets needing to go through the probate process. By designating beneficiaries, you can ensure that certain assets are quickly and effectively transferred to the person or parties of your choosing.

Contact a Canton Estate Planning Attorney 

If you have any questions about or need assistance designating beneficiaries or creating advance directives, or if you want to find out more about other aspects of estate planning in Canton, an experienced Connecticut estate planning lawyer at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can speak with you today. Many Connecticut residents assume that they only need a will, and that once they make a will they are done with estate planning. In fact, while estate plans should contain a will, most thorough estate plans also contain other critical documents and legal tools, including beneficiary designations, advance directives, and more. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you to ensure that your estate plan is detailed and complete based on your needs.

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/business/wills-estate-designated-beneficiary.html

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/health-issues/advdirectivescombinedform2006alt-pdf.pdf?rev=1475e3fcefa446ca8d07e3160f6102ad&hash=B9F8DDDDACABFA1FE24E615C355FED2D