Imagine your life as a movie where you are the star, and your estate plan is the script that ensures your legacy is told the way you envision. By viewing estate planning through the lens of storytelling—focusing on characters, conflicts, and resolutions—you can create a more engaging and personal experience that transforms a daunting process into a meaningful narrative for you and your loved ones.

After the death of a loved one, it’s important to review and update your estate plan to reflect any changes, such as removing deceased beneficiaries or decision-makers like trustees, agents, or guardians. Ensuring these updates are made can prevent future complications and ensure your wishes are carried out.

To ensure an inheritance lasts, avoid hasty decisions, set up an emergency fund, consider legal implications of joint accounts or gifting, and work with a team of professionals, including financial, tax, and estate planning advisors, to create a long-term plan. Proper planning can help preserve your inheritance for future generations.

Purchasing a new home is a significant life event that requires updating your address, ensuring the home's title aligns with your estate plan, and reviewing your life insurance coverage and beneficiary designations. It's important to coordinate these steps to protect both your investment and your loved ones.

Different forms of ownership—such as trusts, LLCs, or tenancy by the entirety—offer various advantages for primary residences, vacation homes, and rental properties. Consulting with an estate planning attorney ensures your real estate is protected and transferred according to your wishes while minimizing risks and legal complexities

Life changes require estate plan updates. Major events like marriage, a new child, divorce, or financial shifts should prompt a review. Obsidian Ridge is here to ensure your estate plan fits your evolving life

The movie Rain Man offers several lessons in estate planning, particularly around how parents can plan for children with different needs and personalities. In the film, Charlie and Raymond Babbitt receive very different inheritances: Raymond, who has autism, gets a trust managed by a doctor, while Charlie, who has had past issues, is largely cut out. This highlights that estate planning isn’t one-size-fits-all. Parents can tailor their plans to suit their children’s unique situations and even use trusts to encourage family bonding or responsible behavior. Open communication before death can also help avoid conflict and surprises