What to Do and Not Do with Your Estate Planning Documents?

Creating and executing estate planning documents is just the first step. Once you have completed the documents, you need to know what to do with them. 

All estate plans should include, at minimum, two important planning instruments: a durable power of attorney and a will. A trust can also be useful to avoid probate and to manage your estate both during your life and after you are gone. In addition, medical directives allow you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. Once you have all these essential estate planning documents, you need to make sure they are stored properly and get to the right people.