{"id":1245795,"date":"2026-03-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/?p=1245795"},"modified":"2026-03-02T13:37:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T18:37:53","slug":"protect-legacy-women-estate-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washingtoninformer.com\/protect-legacy-women-estate-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s History Month: Estate Planning as an Act of Self-Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Women have always carried the weight of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are caregivers, culture keepers, and community builders. We manage households, coordinate medical care, lead businesses, serve in our churches, and hold our families together. We remember the birthdays, the deadlines, the prescriptions, and the tuition payments. We show up \u2014 consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet when it comes to protecting ourselves, we often come last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women\u2019s History Month celebrates our resilience and leadership. But it also invites reflection. If we are honest, many women are exhausted from pouring into everyone else. One of the most overlooked forms of personal care for women \u2014 particularly Black women \u2014 is estate planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women are more likely to serve as primary caregivers for children and aging parents. We often experience career interruptions due to caregiving responsibilities. We live longer than men, yet frequently retire with fewer resources. Despite this reality, many women delay creating comprehensive estate plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it feels like one more task on an already overwhelming list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We say, \u201cI\u2019ll get to it after the kids graduate,\u201d or \u201cOnce work slows down,\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t have enough assets to worry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But estate planning is not about how much you have. It is about how well you are protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We understand self-care when it looks like annual physicals, therapy appointments, gym memberships, or quiet mornings of reflection. But estate planning rarely enters that conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a woman creates a Durable Power of Attorney, she chooses who can manage her financial life if she becomes incapacitated. When she signs a Health Care Proxy and Advance Directive, she determines who will speak for her and what medical choices align with her values. When she prepares a Last Will and Testament or Revocable Living Trust, she decides how her assets will pass and who will care for her minor children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is not just paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is protection.
That is dignity.
That is peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estate planning ensures that if something happens, your loved ones are not left guessing or fighting in court. It reduces confusion, preserves resources, and protects the homes and property so many families worked generations to secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For women who are entrepreneurs or professionals, planning also safeguards businesses and professional practices. Without a plan, a thriving enterprise can unravel quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Black women especially, estate planning is transformative. Historically, Black families have experienced disproportionate land loss, heirs\u2019 property disputes, and forced sales due to lack of formal planning. Too many families have lost generational wealth not because of poor stewardship, but because of inadequate legal structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning interrupts that pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It says:
\u201cMy labor will not be lost.\u201d
\u201cMy children will not have to fight.\u201d
\u201cMy assets will transfer with clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estate planning is not just financial \u2014 it is foundational. It protects the story of what you built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many women avoid planning because it requires confronting mortality. But planning does not invite death; it strengthens life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your affairs are in order, you lead differently. You parent differently. You move with confidence rather than quiet anxiety. You create from a place of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Women\u2019s History Month, let us redefine estate planning as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n