Estate planning is the process of structuring your personal and financial affairs so that, upon death, your assets are distributed according to your wishes. A properly prepared estate plan will help minimize income taxes and probate costs, provide for charitable donations and other gifts, ensure that your family does not face financial hardship and, in order to avoid any future conflicts, clearly define your wishes regarding the final distribution of your assets. Have you planned for what would happen if you were no longer here to take care of things? While there are a number of very human reasons for avoiding the issue – ranging from ‘I don’t have time’ to ‘it’s depressing’ – estate planning is too important to ignore.