Estate Planning for Physicians: Protecting Your Legacy and Your Family
Physicians often spend much of their professional lives building financial security for themselves and their families. Between a demanding medical career, a busy practice, and personal commitments, however, estate planning can become easy to postpone. Estate planning for physicians is about deciding how assets should be managed and transferred, who should make important decisions if the physician cannot make them independently, and how family members can be provided for according to their wishes. Put Your Wishes in Writing A will is an important part of an estate plan. It can explain how certain assets should be distributed and, where applicable, nominate an executor to handle estate administration. Parents may also use a will to nominate guardians for minor children, subject to the relevant legal process. Without appropriate estate documents, the distribution of assets may be governed by applicable state law rather than personal preferences. This can create uncertainty for famil...