A lot of people do not have an estate plan. One reason is people do not think they are old enough to worry about such things and there are more important things to think about like enjoying life.
Are they correct? Can you ever be too young to have an estate plan?
You should ideally make one as soon as you turn 18
You cannot make an estate plan when you are a minor, but the moment you turn 18 you can. It’s true that most people will have less reason to make one so soon, but that does not mean they have no reason to make one.
At 18, you may not have children to think about or items of value to pass on. But you still have yourself to worry about and you still have family and friends who love you.
An early estate plan may include little more than saying in the event of me being unable to communicate my health care wishes to a doctor I give my older brother permission to speak on my behalf.
Or, when I die my little sister can have everything – except my guitar – which I’d like to leave to my best friend. Or when I die I want to be cremated and for a particular tracklist to be played.
Setting out these little details can increase the chance you get the sort of health care and funeral you would want, rather than what someone else wants for you. And it can prevent arguments over your scant belongings.
You can revise your estate plan as you go through life. The important thing is to have something in place. Taking legal guidance can help you achieve this efficiently.