More than a will
A will controls what passes through your estate, but much of what people own does not pass that way. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and many bank and brokerage accounts go to whoever is named on the beneficiary form, and jointly owned property often passes to the surviving owner automatically. A plan that ignores those designations can say one thing in the will while the accounts quietly do another. Planning also covers the stretch before death: a power of attorney for finances and a health care proxy for medical decisions name who acts for you if you cannot act yourself. In New York, without those documents, a family may have to ask a court to appoint a guardian, which is slower and more public than most people would choose.
Information that makes a first draft accurate
A rough list of what you own and how each item is titled is the most useful thing to bring. Note which accounts have beneficiary designations and who is named, because many people discover outdated names on forms they filled out long ago. Bring copies of any existing will, trust, prenuptial agreement, or divorce judgment, since earlier documents and court orders can limit what a new plan can do. Think about the people you would trust to serve as executor, as agent under a power of attorney, and as guardian for minor children, and about whether they live nearby. Property in another state or another country is worth mentioning early, because it can change the structure of the plan.
Priorities set at the start
The first meeting is mostly about priorities rather than paperwork. We talk about who depends on you and whether anyone needs particular protection, such as a minor child, a relative with a disability, or a beneficiary who struggles with money. From there we consider whether a trust makes sense or whether a plan built around a will is enough. Taxes come into the conversation when an estate may be large enough to reach the federal or New York estate tax, and New York's threshold works differently from the federal one. We also discuss how often the plan should be reviewed, since marriages, divorces, births, moves, and changes in the law can make a sound plan outdated.
