Many people express discomfort when it comes to talking about their own mortality or putting together an estate plan. Many more individuals simply believe that they do not have enough assets to warrant an estate plan. Remember, however, that putting together these critical documents and planning strategies is about more than what will happen to your assets after you pass away.

It is also about planning for incapacity as a result of a disabling event. Unfortunately, far too many people fail to include this in their long-range planning and therefore expose themselves and their beneficiaries to unnecessary confusion and frustration. People make plenty of excuses about why they do not engage in their estate planning. According to a Gallup survey completed last year, half of all Americans do not have a will.

Thankfully, there are some critical steps you can take in order to make this easier. First of all, it is impossible to have a detailed conversation until you have inventoried all of the property that you do have. You should also learn which of these assets fall outside of the scope of any will. These may include a 401(k) account, a life insurance policy or an IRA balance. Use a celebrity’s passing or a friend’s passing away without a will to broach this conversation while also giving some emotional distance.

It is not always easy for people to think about their own mortality and planning ahead opportunities. However, it is critical to incorporate having a will into your estate planning guidelines in order to make things easier for your beneficiaries and to assist them in avoiding the probate process. A knowledgeable estate planning attorney can help you incorporate all of these goals into your short and long term planning.