Courage in the Face of Estate Planning--Preparedness is key for not becoming the Cowardly Lion when it comes time to pass on your business

摘要

The hero of this story--let's call him Mr. Courage--is a real-life example of estate planning bravery in the face of adversity. Mr. Courage, a long-time reader of this column, called and asked me to do his estate plan ... quickly. "Why quickly?" I asked. He replied, "Because I have cancer." He didn't know exacdy how long he might live, but thought getting his affairs in order was a good idea. Never once during our initial phone call--or those that followed--did Mr. Courage give even a hint that he was or would become downtrodden. He explained his attitude this way, "How lucky I am to know that the end may be near, yet have time to put my house in order." Wow!