Why your personal objectives - not the documents - are the heart of true estate planning.
When most people hear the phrase estate planning, they think of documents: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives. They picture stacks of paper filled with dense legal language and assume the goal is simply to “get the documents done.”
But the truth is this: estate planning has very little to do with documents. It is about people. It is about your values, your priorities, your relationships, and the legacy you hope to leave behind. It is, at its core, about your why.
Why Estate Planning Matters More Than You Think
Estate planning is the intentional act of protecting the people you love and the life you’ve built. Without a thoughtful plan:
A well-designed estate plan prevents those uncertainties. It creates clarity instead of confusion. It empowers your loved ones instead of burdening them. And it ensures that your wishes - not the State’s - guide the process.
But to do all of that effectively, your estate plan must start with your objectives. Not generic goals, not what your neighbors are doing, not what an online form assumes you want - but you.
Your life.
Your values.
Your story.
Your why.
The Role of “Your Why” in Estate Planning
That’s why we lead with this question: “What are your primary objectives?”
Every client who walks into our office brings a unique set of hopes, concerns, and motivating factors. Some want to ensure their children are raised with certain values. Others want to protect a spouse, avoid probate, preserve a family business, minimize conflict, or support a cause close to their heart.
Some had a seamless experience when a loved one passed and want to create the same; others want to avoid the disaster they inherited.
This is why no two estate plans should look the same. A plan should reflect the individual - not a template.
When we start by asking clients why they want an estate plan and what they hope to achieve, we uncover the real objectives that should drive the design:
Once we understand the answers, the legal structure becomes clear. The documents become merely the tools - customized instruments designed to carry out the “why” that truly matters.
My Personal Why: A Note Card from Law School
I vividly remember sitting in law school orientation, overwhelmed by Latin terms, the first-year curriculum I was about to embark upon, and the weight of the profession I was entering. One day, we were asked to write down our own why, and to reflect on it during challenging times.
In a moment of clarity, I pulled out an index card and wrote down: “My future children.”
At the time, they didn’t yet exist. But they motivated every choice I made before they were even here. Years later, they still do.
That note card has followed me throughout my career, tucked into planners and desk drawers, and currently safely disintegrating my wallet - always reminding me what matters most. And it shapes the way I practice law today.
Because when a client sits across from me, I know exactly what it feels like to build a plan around the people you love most - those you’d do anything to protect.
Helping You Discover - and Honor - Your Why
At My Pink Lawyer®, we don’t start with documents; we start with conversation. We listen. We ask questions. We learn what makes your family unique. (Spoiler alert – ALL families are unique!) And then we design a plan that fits - not just legally, but personally and emotionally.
Maybe your “why” is your children.
Maybe it’s your spouse or partner.
Maybe it’s your aging parents, a beloved charity, or the hope of leaving peace - not conflict - behind.
Whatever it is, it deserves to be honored with a thoughtful, intentional estate plan.
After all, estate planning is not just a legal task - it is an act of love.
Your objectives are the compass.
Your why is the foundation.
The documents are simply the tools that make your wishes real.
If you haven’t yet created or updated your estate plan, now is the perfect time to ask yourself:
What is my why?
Once you know the answer, everything else becomes clear.
And we are here to help you turn that clarity into a plan that protects the people and values that matter most.
Amanda “Planning with Purpose” Lynch Elliott