You want to keep administration and tax costs as low as possible but there are other items that should be important to you as part of your estate plan. These include yourself, your family and your philanthropic interests.

You might assume that your estate planning actually doesn’t have anything to do with you except that it’s your responsibility to verify that the assets you wish to pass on to beneficiaries can properly do so in your documents but this is a common error.

As your assets increase and as you grow older you face unique estate planning and asset protection planning concerns that should always be discussed directly with an attorney. Planning for the future needs of others can help you maximize lifetime advantages as well. The most common reason for carrying out your estate planning is to protect your family.

Your spouse should decide how the assets will be administered for the maximum advantage of the survivor if you are married. Your spouse will face heavy and new burdens when you pass away but if you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or other family members, you’ll want to make sure that you have taken extra care to include them in your estate plan.

The final aspect of covering what’s most important to you in your estate plan are your philanthropic interests. Don’t overlook causes that advance many different aspects of society. It is likely that there’s something personally connected to you that could be included as part of your estate plan and you’ll want your charitable goals to be in harmony with the needs of your family. Make sure you discuss how to make these important distinctions and still accomplish your planning goals with the help of a lawyer.