Estate Planning Pointers By Timothy S. Barkley, Sr., Esq. In beginning the estate planning process, any competent planner will begin by getting to know you.
Planning is for people.
It is not a technician's exercise in efficiency, though it must be efficient. Planning is about you and your values, not about taxes or money or assets. Your assets, money, and tax situation should be aligned with your values, and not the other way around. Other measures, such as charitable giving and minor's trusts, are only sensible if they lead to the second goal. In getting to know you, and after exploring your values generally, your planner will be seeking the answers to several questions that will determine the type of estate plan to use.