Estate planning isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy—it’s something everyone should consider, regardless of their financial situation. From protecting your assets to ensuring your loved ones are taken care of, well-organized estate planning can prevent unnecessary stress and complications after you’re gone. In this blog, Andy from Your Secured Legacy gives us some real life examples that he has helped his clients with this week.  These family situations illustrate why having the right legal arrangements in place is essential.

1. Protecting Your Children’s Inheritance: A Divorcee’s Story

One of our clients, a divorcee with two married children, wanted to ensure that his estate would go to his children and not to his child's ex-spouse. This is a concern for many who have gone through divorce but still want to look after their children financially. Without clear directives in the Will, there’s a risk that assets could end up in the hands of his child's ex-spouses or even be contested. Proper estate planning allowed this father to set clear terms about who would inherit his estate, making sure his children were the primary beneficiaries.

Andy tells us that If you have a blended family or divorced children, it’s important to specify who benefits from your estate and under what terms, to avoid complications down the line.

2. Ensuring a Disabled Child’s Financial Security

Another case involved a widow who wanted to ensure that one of her children, who was disabled, received a fair share of her estate without losing eligibility for their benefits. This can be a tricky issue, as any inheritance can sometimes affect a disabled person’s entitlement to government support. The widow was keen to ensure that her estate planning did not inadvertently harm her child’s financial situation.

At Your Secured Legacy, Andy strongly advises that if you have a disabled child or family member who receives benefits, it’s crucial to structure your Will and estate plan in a way that doesn’t affect their entitlement to state benefits. Trusts, for instance, can be a helpful tool here.

3. Protecting Against Care Home Fees: The Importance of Early Planning

We also worked with a couple concerned about the possibility of paying excessive care home fees in the future. They had a friend, a widow, who had gone into care, and due to poor estate planning, the full value of her home was at risk from care home costs. Without adequate measures in place—like gifting assets, placing assets in trusts, or setting up a Will to protect the family home—the full value of a person’s property could be used to pay for their care fees, leaving little or nothing for the family to inherit.

Planning for care home costs is a critical part of estate planning. Andy tells us there are ways to protect assets, like setting up trusts or considering early gifting, so you don’t risk losing everything to care costs.

4. Why Lasting Power of Attorney Matters: A Case Study in Mental Health

Lastly, a couple came to us after they were concerned about their friend, whose husband had been diagnosed with dementia. The friend had not set up Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), which meant that his wife had no legal right to manage his finances or make medical decisions on his behalf. When the situation became urgent, the wife found herself applying to the court for permission to act on his behalf—an expensive, time-consuming process that could take up to six months and cost thousands of pounds.  With LPAs in place, the situation could have been avoided altogether.  The couple was able to quickly organize LPAs for themselves, ensuring that their family wouldn’t face the same issue should anything happen to one of them.

Setting up Lasting Powers of Attorney is essential, particularly as you age or face potential health challenges. Without an LPA, your family may struggle to manage your affairs if you become mentally incapacitated.  This is happening more and more often, says Andy, and could be so easily avoided with some early planning.

These real-life examples show how important it is to plan for the future. Whether it’s protecting your estate for your children, ensuring a disabled loved one is taken care of, or safeguarding your home from care fees, the right planning can make all the difference. It’s never too early to start, and with the right guidance, you can avoid unnecessary complications that can affect your loved ones when you’re no longer around.

If any of these situations resonate with you, now is the time to start thinking about your estate plan. Reach out to a qualified professional to ensure your wishes are carried out and your family is protected.  Speak with Andy from Your Secured Legacy to start the process and give yourself peace of mind for the future.