Best Probate Attorneys in Los Gatos, CA

What Not to Include in Your Estate Planning Documents Not Everything Belongs in Your Estate Plans Perhaps the most basic function of an estate plan is to pass along your assets to the people you care about upon your passing. You want your estate to pass to your beneficiaries as easily and efficiently as the law allows. For that to happen, you need an estate plan that’s complete, carefully crafted, up to date, and in line with your goals. A complete estate plan cannot and should not contain every piece of information imaginable. There are items that don’t belong in the documents that make up your estate plan. Identity Theft Hazard – Social Security Numbers Mistaken identity is not a major problem in estate planning. While you may be tempted to use Social Security numbers to identify your beneficiaries with specificity, it’s not necessary, and it’s potentially dangerous. You need to provide enough information to accurately identify your beneficiaries, but that rarely requires more than a full first, middle, and last name. Using a Social Security number will guarantee that the right person is identified, but at a significant cost.