Being a responsible business owner includes looking ahead towards unforeseen circumstances and establishing an estate plan probate that can be put into action to protect your business for your heirs or business partners. When you look to find estate plan probate information on the Internet, be sure to verify it with your attorney, as everyone's circumstances are unique, and so are the variations among state laws.

There are a couple of ways you can decide to accomplish this task. You can choose to purchase estate planning software, saving yourself some attorney billing hours by doing some of the groundwork yourself, or you can simply have a firm who specializes in estate plan probate draw up all the documents for your signature.

1. Investigate resources and check out an estate plan probate list to get a good starting point on what to do next.

2. Review estate planning software to see if this is best route for your business to choose.

3. Find an estate plan probate provider.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find resources that provide estate plan probate lists

Planning ahead is the only way to protect your business for your heirs. If you were to die unexpectedly without a will in place, your assets could be tied up in probate court for years. These sites will get you started asking yourself the right questions to begin the process of designing an adequate estate plan.

I recommend: MSNmoney.com lists 12 easy steps to help you prepare your estate plan which will at least get you started in the right direction. For more detailed information, check out the Estate Plan Center. The site covers all aspects of estate plan probate information.

Decide if estate plan probate software is a good option for your business needs

Estate planning software ranges in price, but even the most expensive versions are considerably cheaper than attorney's fees. While it might be very appealing to save money, make sure you educate yourself and ensure that all avenues are covered so that your heirs do not pay the price.

I recommend: Foster Law Forms provides software and downloadable forms for all 50 state court jurisdictions. Living Trusts on the Web offers estate plan probate services online.

Retain the services of an attorney that specializes in estate plan probate

Protecting your business for your heirs might best be left up to the experts, especially if you have business partners or other special circumstances.

I recommend: Linda Beebe & Pamela Gorski, Attorneys at Law, have a very comprehensive list of questions and answers for you to review that will aide in the estate plan probate. Marc H. Weissman, Esq. has an Estate Planning Education page that guides you through all the steps and helps you start the process.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Review your estate plan probate regularly and make any needed changes as required. For example, the birth of a child, a divorce or an illness can all effect your estate plan.
• •  If you make the decision to use estate plan probate software, it would be a good idea at the very least to have an attorney review it and make sure your heirs are protected.