People procrastinate on finishing their estate plans for some reason.  Apparently they know when they are going to die so they can decide when to sign the documents and finish the plan. I have a yearly cycle that I see. We are currently in a non-excuse time and thus people are working to finish their estate plans. Like you doing research on the internet… you should be applauded. However, let’s get you done before the summer vacation excuse kicks in!

Ok, so people start the year strong with estate planning in my experience. They have new year’s resolutions and want to clean up their worlds so estate planning often moves up the priority list. Other than some ski trips, a trip to Hawaii, and of course (for my elderly clients) the “I have a doctor’s appointment that day” excuse, many clients finish their estate plan during the first quarter of the year.

Oh that is until the taxes excuse kicks in. That’s mid-March for most clients I have found. Estate planning slows down until April 16th when the tax excuse is over. Again, it’s a window of opportunity for me, the estate planning attorney, to help clients finish their work before summer.

Actually the summer excuse starts in May with the graduation excuse. “I can’t sign that day as I will be back east for my son’s college graduation….”  Then the summer starts and people travel, there are lots of weddings, and then they have to get ready to send the kids back to school.

Ok, then my final large window to help clients… the fall.  From the Tuesday after Labor Day until mid-November people are taking care of business! They are doing stuff like getting their estate plan done. They are organized. They call me. We get their trusts signed, we get their trusts funded, and people are protected by their new estate plans.

Then the whole country comes to a shut down about the Friday before Thanksgiving. From that day until about January 2nd I might as well close my office! I don’t though so if you are reading this blog in December I am still working so call me up!

That is the cycle as I see it. I have been doing estate planning since 1994 and feel I have a pretty good handle on it. Of course a lot of people finish their estate plans throughout the year but the above is a broad generalization of what I see in my practice.

Whatever time of year it is, whatever excuses may exist, and whatever reasons you have for wanting to talk about your estate plan give me a call!

-John