You probably know by now that you, like all people, should engage in estate planning. It's a truism that Miami residents have heard before. No one likes thinking about a time when estate planning measures like a will or guardianship may be necessary, but it is simply prudent to prepare for things.

That being said, how does one even start estate planning? Naturally, a conversation with an attorney who practices this area of law will be helpful. But in the interest of making that conversation more efficient, here are a few general things you should give some thought to on your own before your consultation.

First, think about the totality your assets. Do not at all be embarrassed if you feel like you don't have many. As we made clear in our last post, estate planning is not only for the very wealthy. Rather, this is important to think about because you need to consider whether you can name one beneficiary, one group of beneficiaries (such as your children or favorite charities) or whether you will need a broad array of beneficiaries.

Second, if you have children, you will need to think about who should be named as their guardian if anything happens to you. Although you love your parents, naming someone who is currently in their 60s or 70s may not be the best idea. Think about siblings, close friends or anyone else who may be a good beneficiary and be prepared to run this idea past the attorney to see what he or she thinks.

Third, think about what you would like to have happen to you if you can no longer make your own medical decisions. To be fully informed, think about your personal wishes, the approach preferred by your faith and what is and is not medically possible. These are all factors that may help you decide what would be the best approach for long-term care planning.

As we said, a consultation with an estate planning attorney can help you fill in the details, but estate planning is a field where split-second decisions are not a good idea, so taking some time to turn things over in your head is always a good idea.

Source: Forbes, "A Common Sense Approach to Estate Planning," Nancy Anderson, Jan. 19, 2012