When most people hear “estate planning,” they think of planning to avoid estate taxes. However, for all but the very wealthiest individuals, the federal estate tax is no longer a concern (although state level estate taxes may still be an issue for some). There is a lot more to “estate planning” than taxes. That’s why “family succession planning” better describes this process, which includes decisions about who will receive which assets, when they will receive them, and who will have authority to make financial, medical and end of life decisions for you if you can’t.