Draw!

My friends know I always carry a pen in my pocket. In law school we were taught to always have a pen and legal pad with us so we could take notes. I’ve given up on the legal pad since I can take notes on my phone or my tablet, but I still carry the pen. Why? So I can draw. Usually on paper napkins.

Back when I was the Computer Responsible Person for Gulf Coast Legal Foundation (there was no such title as CIO or CTO back in the dark ages), a technician told me that you never really understand how something is put together until you can draw it.

He was right. Since then I’ve drawn network diagrams, flowcharts, intake workflows, maps, and business plans. If the drawing doesn’t make sense I go back and study the process, plan, or equipment until I can draw it clearly.

You can do the same thing when you start thinking about your Estate Plan. Draw it out so you can see if it makes sense. Add all the property you own and all the people you want that property to go to. Decide who is going to be responsible for carrying out your wishes. Figure out what will happen if one of those people dies before you do.

Then, when the drawing clearly shows what you want to do, start showing it to your family and friends. It will make it easier to explain the decisions you have made and the responsibilities you are asking them to take on

Finally, show it to your lawyer. Tell them to design your Estate Plan just like you have drawn it up. When it's completed, ask your lawyer to draw your Plan out for you. That way you can make sure they got it right too.