Estate Planning Made Simple. Protection Made Certain.

ESTATE PLANNING ESSENTIALS | ARTICLE 6 OF 6

Is Your Family Protected? Here’s How to Find Out.

We have covered a lot of ground together over these five articles.

You started where most people start: with the assumption that a will is enough. You learned what probate actually is, what it costs in Oregon, and why dying with a will still sends your family to court. You learned how a living trust sidesteps all of that. You learned why incapacity planning matters just as much as what happens after death. And in the last article, you learned about the most overlooked problem in estate planning: a trust that exists on paper but was never properly funded. Three out of four trusts have major assets missing. One in four is completely unfunded. Now you know why ongoing implementation and annual reviews are not optional extras just as much as what happens after you are gone.

Now I want to bring it all together, because information without action does not protect anyone.

| The families I worry about most are not the ones who made the wrong plan. They are the ones who never made one at all.

The Two Plans, One More Time

I come back to this every time I speak, because it is the simplest way to frame the whole conversation.

There is no such thing as not having an estate plan. If you have not created one intentionally, the government already has one for you. It is called probate, and it is the default for everyone who does nothing.

So the real question is never whether you have a plan. The question is whose plan you are on.

The government’s plan: probate court, public record, 6 to 18 months, 3% to 8% of your estate gone before your family sees anything
Your plan: a properly funded trust, the right documents in place, your assets where you want them, your family protected the way you intended

One of those costs your family time, money, privacy, and stress. The other costs a few thousand dollars and a few hours of your time right now.

What the Cost of Doing Nothing Actually Looks Like

I want to be concrete about this, because vague warnings do not move people to act. Real numbers do.

Look at that last row. A complete living trust, properly drafted and funded, runs $4,000 to $6,000. That is a one-time cost that protects everything you have spent a lifetime building.

Compare that to $15,000 to $43,000 in probate costs on an average Oregon home alone, before attorney fees, court fees, or the cost of any complications. Before the 6 to 18 months your family waits. Before the toll that takes on relationships.

There is really no comparison. The question is just whether people see it clearly enough to act.

Why Most People Still Do Nothing

I have a whole slide dedicated to this in my seminars, because it matters. If the math is this clear, why do so many families still end up in probate?

They get too busy and keep putting it off
They assume it costs more than it does
They think trusts are only for wealthy people
They do not know where to start or who to trust
They do not want to think about death or incapacity
They tell themselves it will not happen to them

I understand every single one of those reasons. I have heard them hundreds of times. And I genuinely believe that most of the people who never get around to planning are not irresponsible. They just never had someone sit down with them and make it simple.

That is exactly what we do at Fortis Planning.

What Getting Started Actually Looks Like

I want to demystify the process, because a lot of people imagine it is more complicated or time-consuming than it actually is.

Here is what working with Fortis Planning looks like from start to finish:

Step 1: A free educational consultation.

We sit down together, you ask every question you have, and we get a clear picture of your situation. There is no pressure and no obligation. You leave knowing where you stand and what your options are.

Step 2: We design your plan.

Based on your family, your assets, and your goals, we coordinate the creation of your estate planning documents. That typically includes your trust, your pour-over will, your powers of attorney, your advance directive, and your HIPAA authorization.

Step 3: We handle signing and notarization.

We walk you through the signing process and make sure everything is executed properly. A document that is not properly signed and witnessed is not legally valid, and we take that seriously.

Step 4: We Help fund your trust.

This is the step most people skip when they try to do this on their own, and it is the step that makes everything else work. We make sure your assets are actually titled in the name of your trust. A trust that is not funded is just a document. A funded trust is a plan.

Step 5: We check in every year.

Life changes. Laws change. Your family changes. We do annual reviews to make sure your plan stays current and continues to reflect what you actually want.

A Note on Who This Is For

People sometimes assume that estate planning is for older people, or for people with large estates, or for people who have complicated family situations.

It is for all of them. But it is also for the 35-year-old couple with a new home and two young kids who have not thought about what happens if both of them are gone. It is for the small business owner who has never separated his personal and business assets. It is for the widow who had a trust with her late husband and is not sure if it still reflects her wishes. It is for the adult child who just watched a parent go through probate and swore they would never put their own kids through that.

If you have people who depend on you, or assets you want to protect, or wishes you want honored, this is for you.

| Estate planning is not about death. It is about making sure the people you love are taken care of, no matter what.

Thank You for Reading

I want to close this series the way I close every seminar: with genuine gratitude.

Most people never take the time to educate themselves on this stuff. You did. You read five articles on a topic that most people avoid because it makes them

uncomfortable. That says something about how much you care about your family.

Now take the next step. Not because I am asking you to, but because your family deserves to be protected, and you are the only one who can make that happen.

The consultation is free. The conversation is easy. And the peace of mind on the other side of it is, as we like to say, invaluable.

Let’s talk.

Your Next Step: A Free 60-Minute Consultation

No pressure. No obligation. No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about where your family stands and what options make sense for your situation. Contact: [email protected] | (503) 308-7767 | fortisplanning.com | Fortis Planning, LLC | Estate Planning Made Simple. Protection Made Certain.