Some of your clients wish to leave part or all of their estate to charities dear to their hearts. Of course, this generosity also benefits donors through savings on income and estate taxes. As their estate planner, it’s your job to ensure the tools used are the most effective and tax-efficient.

Your estate planning clients depend on you to conform to all laws and minimize their tax burdens and vulnerabilities. Of course, tax laws will change over time, as will your clients’ situations, values and needs. So estate planning is never really “done done.” Instead, the process is effectively fluid until your client’s death. 

The “vision thing.” The purported lack of it helped keep President George H.W. Bush from proceeding to a second term. It’s a given that successful people have a vision – or so it seems. But if you don’t have a clear vision for your estate planning practice, and it’s gnawing at you, don’t despair.