Should “estate planning” include self-defense preparation?
Armed citizens might consider that having a well-ordered estate plan may reduce hesitation and make them a better fighter. But is the converse true–might self-defense preparation enhance an estate plan?In general terms, estate planning attorneys help provide documents and training to protect families at key life events related to succession and incapacity. In this broad sense, self-defense prep (firearms training included) is at least relevant to, and depending on circumstances should perhaps be an integral part of, estate planning for many clients, because of the need for legal counsel in this area.
Property planning will always be the main aspect, but “estate planning” attorneys routinely venture beyond the “estate” (property) realm–e.g., health care directives often press the envelope on plug-pulling; incentive trust provisions can reach like a hand from the grave to guide descendants, transmitting important values, preserving a family heritage more important than property: sacred honor.
Yet self-defense prep is also relevant to property planning. Americans often speak of their sidearms as “life insurance,” and no one doubts the relevance of life insurance to estate planning–key man life insurance is routinely used to fund business buyout agreements and/or ensure continuity of the family business, but self-defense prep might actually avoid death or disability of the key man (plus it transmits important values and may defer estate tax). [Yes, it's possible to go too far with this--eating right is another way to defer estate tax, etc.--but you don't need a license to eat right and eating right probably won’t land you in jail.]
Given recent historic court decisions on the Second Amendment, and more on the way which may soon incorporate it against the states, why not offer clients the option of obtaining legal qualification, training, and counsel regarding self-defense?
