It’s never too early to being crafting your estate plan. Admittedly, planning for your own inevitable death can be an eerie feeling. However, once that feeling passes, having an estate plan in place will leave most people at ease. But when should estate planning begin?

The answer is, whenever you begin accumulating assets or have a child. Even if you are in your early 20s, you should consider creating a will or trust. If you are a home owner or contribute to a retirement fund, having an estate plan is a must. The process is not as much about staying out of probate court as it is about keeping things simple for your family.

Age isn’t much of a factor in estate planning compared to your financial and family arrangement. The questions are how do you want your assets to pass and to whom.  Are you making the proper arrangements for your minor children to be taken care of if something were top happen to you.

Additionally, through proper estate planning you will also make sure you establish a healthcare directive or a living will. This will allow you to make sure your end of life decisions are made according to your desires if, for example, you are on life support and can’t make them for yourselves.