“I chose not to have children, so I do not need an estate plan.” This statement is generally true, but it is generally true for all of us, not just those of us who choose not to have children. The state has designed an estate plan that any of us can follow if we do not put one together ourselves.
The problem is that the estate plan designed by the state is probably not going to be the one we would choose for ourselves. Everything we worked for in life will end up going to the niece we never knew, or the brother who never came to visit. Or it could all just end up going to the state. The process is called probate, and how probate works is a discussion for another day.
While an estate plan is not necessary for anyone, it is certainly something that is desirable for all of us. We work hard in our lives, when we are no longer here we have the ability to share with the things that matter to us. This is especially true if we have anything that we care about in life. We have the option of sharing our assets any way we choose.
- Have pets? Make sure they are taken care of.
- Love animals? Donate to your favorite animal welfare organization.
- Love books? Set up a scholarship fund for writers.
Making the choice to not have children does not mean that you do not want a say in how your things are treated when you are gone. For some, this act of not having children was a conscious choice and we can make another conscious choice to distribute our accomplishments in the way that we chose to live our lives – with deliberation. We can choose to give to the things we care about.
