The New Year is usually when we talk about self-care. More sleep. More movement. Fewer emails after 8 p.m, and maybe finally drinking enough water. But real self-care isn’t just eating right, exercising, and setting healthy boundaries.  Sometimes, self-care looks like getting your life in order.

One of the most overlooked, but most loving acts of self-care is creating an estate plan. Let’s be honest: we are all going to die. That’s not morbid, it’s just reality. What is heartbreaking is when the people you love are left overwhelmed, stressed, and navigating court systems and paperwork because nothing was planned ahead of time. Creating an estate plan helps answer the questions your family would otherwise be forced to guess at, and even worse, the California Probate Code will control who will is the rightful successors to your assets.

Some things to consider for as we near 2026:

• Who handles things if something happens to you?
• Who makes medical decisions if you can’t?
• What happens to your children if you cannot care for them?
• How are your assets distributed, and how quickly?
• Are your beneficiary designations up to date on retirement accounts, bank accounts, and life insurance policies?

Without an estate plan, the California Probate Code decides. And your loved ones pay the price in time, money, and emotional stress. With a properly prepared estate plan, you give your family clarity. You give them direction. You give them peace of mind during one of the most difficult times of their lives.

The New Year is about setting intentions for the life you’re living now. Part of that intention should be making sure the people you love are protected later. Estate planning doesn’t mean you’re expecting the worst. It means you’re prepared if the worst case scenario happens.

If one of your goals this year is less chaos, less stress, and more peace of mind, now is the time to create or update your estate plan. Call Attorney Jessica Ward at (925) 459-1777, or book directly online using the link below for a complimentary 15-minute discovery call to get started.