According to a 2015 survey, 64% of Americans do not have a will. Of those, 60% indicated that they simply haven’t gotten around to it, and over one fourth (27%) don’t feel that it’s urgent.
Many people put off Estate Planning for two common reasons: 1) their death is not imminent so there will always be another time to worry about planning; or 2) they’re afraid of conceptualizing their own mortality.
As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Dying without a will can be a substantial hardship on your family and can lead to a result that you did not intend (see the Prince fiasco currently happening). If you do not want the state’s default rules to control your estate, you need to make Estate Planning an immediate priority.
Paul Yokabitus is the CEO and Managing Partner of Cary Estate Planning, a Cary, NC, estate planning law firm. With years of experience in estate and elder law, he has zealously represented clients in various legal matters, including estate planning, guardianship, Medicaid planning, estate administration, and other cases.
Paul received his Juris Doctor from the Campbell University School of Law and is a North Carolina Bar Association member. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named among the “Best Attorney in Cary” in 2016 and 2017 by Cary News and Rising Star in 2020-2023 by Super Lawyers.