Every day, thousands of Americans die intestate — without a will.
Their grieving families are left to sort out their loved one’s affairs, interpret their final wishes and navigate a complicated, expensive journey through probate court.
The result is thousands of wasted dollars and countless wasted hours, all of which could have been avoided if their loved one had simply created an estate plan.
Viken Mikaelian, CEO of PlannedGiving.com, was inspired to create this booklet after his own experience dealing with a loved one’s lack of preparation.
For 20 years, he’d been advising clients to educate donors about the importance of creating an estate plan. Then he discovered, firsthand, what happens without one.
Viken was late in preparing his estate plans. But not too late. The reason he wrote this book is because of his dad. You see, like most of Americans, he always put off estate planning, and whenever I asked, he always replied, “Too complicated. Not right now. Besides I’m not going to die tomorrow.”
He Died Tomorrow.
After his father died without a will, Viken and his wife Olga spent six months and a small fortune sorting through thousands of documents, arranging appointments with lawyers, reviewing health directives, wading through government paperwork, appearing in court, and fighting to have funds transferred into his ailing mother’s accounts. To complicate matters, his mother was dealing with profound memory loss and could not manage her own affairs.
Designed to save your loved ones from the same experience, Live Well, Leave Well tackles the importance of estate planning with solid, actionable advice; heartwarming stories; and amusing anecdotes.
Live Well, Leave Well is a quick, enjoyable read designed to give you the tools and time for peace of mind. Leave a legacy everyone can be proud of — not a mess they’ll be forced to clean up after you’re gone.