Every Fourth of July, we gather with loved ones to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy – often with fireworks, parades, and picnics. But beneath the festivities is a powerful reminder: independence didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of vision, sacrifice, and intentional planning.
The same is true for protecting your family’s future.
Just as our founding fathers drafted the Declaration of Independence to lay the foundation for freedom and self-governance, your estate plan can be your family’s declaration of independence – freeing them from court involvement, confusion, and unnecessary conflict in the future.
Freedom from Government Control Over Your Family’s Future
Without an estate plan, your loved ones don’t get to decide what happens – you’ve effectively handed that authority to the state. That could mean:
- A judge decides who will raise your children, with no insight into your values or wishes.
- State law dictates who inherits, even if that includes people you would never choose.
- Access to assets is delayed, leaving your spouse or children financially vulnerable.
- Your estate becomes public, exposing personal information to anyone who wants to see it.
- Assets get lost, ending up in the state’s unclaimed property division due to poor organization or missing information.
The truth is: you have the power to choose. But not all estate plans are created equal. A traditional will or boilerplate trust may fall short – especially if it doesn’t reflect your family’s dynamics, isn’t kept up to date, or lacks the guidance your loved ones need to carry it out properly.
Life & Legacy Planning: A Modern Approach to Protecting What Matters Most
A Life & Legacy Plan goes far beyond drafting documents. It’s a holistic, values-driven process that puts you in control – not just of your assets, but of your family’s future security and well-being.
This kind of planning includes:
- Legal guardianship nominations to ensure your children are always raised by the people you choose.
- Custom instructions for how and when your assets are distributed, helping your children avoid common financial pitfalls.
- A regularly updated asset inventory, so nothing gets lost and everything is easy to find.
- A Life & Legacy Interview, where you record your most meaningful values, stories, and messages for your loved ones—an emotional legacy that money can’t replace.
- Ongoing updates and communication, so your plan stays current and reliable as life evolves.
In short, Life & Legacy Planning empowers you to build lasting structures that will serve your family for generations—much like our country’s founders did.
Create a Personal Bill of Rights for Your Loved Ones
You can think of your Life & Legacy Plan as your family’s own Bill of Rights – a declaration of the values, priorities, and protections you want to ensure:
- The right to avoid probate and maintain privacy
- The right to access assets quickly, without court delays
- The right to receive guidance and support during times of transition
- The right to inherit with clarity, responsibility, and love
These are the freedoms you can preserve – not just for today, but for your children and beyond.
Take Action This Independence Day
This Independence Day, give your loved ones the gift of peace, clarity, and security. There’s no better time to take control of your legacy and ensure your family’s freedom from unnecessary legal entanglements in the future.
At Cheever Law, we guide you through a Life & Legacy Planning Session, where we’ll:
- Help you understand what would happen to your assets and loved ones right now if something were to happen to you
- Clarify your goals and values
- Create a custom plan that truly works for your family – not just on paper, but in real life
Let’s create a plan that protects your loved ones and reflects everything that matters most to you.
At Cheever Law, we don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death for yourself and the people you love, starting with a valuable and educational Life & Legacy Planning Session. This will allow you to get more financially organized and make the best choices for the people you love. If you have already completed your estate plan, we will review that plan at your Life & Legacy Planning Session to ensure that it will work the way you intend and address any holes or gaps that may be present if circumstances have changed since you executed your plan.
To learn more about our one-of-a-kind systems and services, contact us or schedule a no-obligation 15-minute introductory phone call today.