Your Estate Plan and Your Faith

When people in Florida create an estate plan, questions of faith, spirituality, religion, and values often lie at the heart of the process. Estate planning naturally requires us to ask questions about life, death, and what we hold as important. These questions will in turn involve questions of faith and deeply personal beliefs. To help better explain how issues of faith affect your estate plan, and what you can do to make sure that your values are protected, let’s take a look at some important ideas.

You and Your Lawyer

The process of beginning an estate plan starts when you contact your estate planning lawyer, schedule an appointment, and come in to talk about what estate planning is all about. Your attorney is your counselor and guide, and is there to help you craft the best possible plan that fits your desires and needs. When you first talk to your attorney you will discuss some broad principles, as well as begin focusing on some more specific concepts. It is your attorney’s job to listen to you, determine what options are available, and guide you through the process of creating a plan that protects you as much as possible.

Your Plan and Your Decisions

What your attorney cannot do is make your decisions for you. While your lawyer will give you advice about what you might want to do, should do, or shouldn’t do, in the end is up to you to make the final choice.

Making these decisions can take a lot of time, thought, and consideration. It can also involve applying a variety of non-legal factors, including your personal beliefs, values, and matters of faith.

When it comes to questions of faith, religion, spirituality, ethics, or personal choice, no one can tell you what to do. It is always your responsibility to make decisions that align with your personal values and beliefs. Even if one option is legally preferable to another, choosing a different option because you believe it is more in line with your personal values is something you might need to consider.

Your Plan and Your Values

As you go about the process of making estate planning choices, you don’t only have to rely on the advice your attorney gives you. You are free to speak to whomever you like, including your friends, family members, medical professionals, as well as religious or spiritual counselors. The entire process of creating an estate plan is about making choices that will protect you and your values. As long as you take the time to consider each of the important questions and make sure that your choices aligned with your faith and values, you can be sure that the plan you create will be the right one for you.