Ever heard of the Someday Syndrome? It’s something most of us are diagnosed with at some point in our lives. In some cases, we are aware of it. In other cases, we’re completely oblivious. Someday Syndrome refers to putting off a task, project, or goal until an arbitrary time or circumstance in the future. Here are a few examples of what it could look like:
- “I want to write a book someday, but I’m just waiting for the right inspiration to hit.”
- “I’ve been thinking about retiring, but I want to make sure it’s the right time.”
- “We hope to buy a house one day, but we’re waiting until we find one that’s just right.”
We see Someday Syndrome often when it comes to estate planning. Most people say they believe it’s important to them, but they keep delaying for one reason or another. Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Survey identifies several reasons people haven’t started estate planning yet.
By the end of this post, you’ll learn about the most common reasons people are putting off estate planning and discover how to overcome them.
Reason 1: Procrastination
The number one reason people said they haven’t started estate planning is procrastination. To be clear, this group of people believes in the importance of estate planning. However, something has gotten in the way of taking action. Maybe you are in a busy season of life raising kids, working full-time, running a business, or taking care of a parent, and you’re waiting for things to settle down before finally creating an estate plan. Or, maybe you just have decision fatigue from having to handle all the other things in life.
If this is you, we’ve got great news! We make it easy. No need to do endless amounts of research with confusing and conflicting advice. We take you through our clear and simple process, one step at a time.
Reason 2: Net-Worth Myth
The second reason people noted for not starting an estate plan is that they think they don’t have enough of an “estate” to plan. This is one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to estate planning. Creating a plan is so much more than just leaving assets for your loved ones. With a plan, you can:
- Choose trusted decision-makers if you can’t.
- Name guardians for your minor children.
- Express your wishes for health care and incapacity.
- Protect more than you think with a plan.
Plus, we often find that clients have more than they think to protect with an estate plan.
If this is you, we’re here to help! From the very first phone call, we’ll be able to talk through your options and how we can help you.
Reason 3: Cost
The third reason people haven’t done estate planning is the cost of planning. It’s important to understand the cost of not planning. Without a plan, your loved ones could be paying thousands of dollars out of pocket just to get access to your home, accounts, and other assets. The cost of planning is a fraction of what your family will be spending while they are grieving. There are other firms that will charge you by the hour or add-on fees for a plan that may not even be comprehensive. You won’t find that here. We offer flat fees for a plan that’s effective when you need it to be.
If this is you, we can provide you with estimates based on your specific needs in just one free phone call.
Reason 4: Don’t Know Where To Start
There are a lot of options and misinformation out there, which is why it’s no surprise that this is one of the reasons people haven’t done estate planning. Maybe you’ve done some research but the advice is conflicting. Maybe you thought you could handle it on your own, but you don’t want to miss any important details. We created this free resource for people who want to learn but need it to be simplified. That’s why we designed our process to be clear and simple from the start.
If this is you, we’ve got you covered! Start is by booking a free Discovery Call. That’s it. We’ll walk you through our process step-by-step.
Reason 5: Takes Too Long
We know that estate planning can feel overwhelming and complicated. Here’s the reality: without a plan, your loved ones will be dealing with hassles and delays in courts for months or years after you are gone. We have a proven process that we’ve taken hundreds of clients through to complete their plan in 4–6 weeks.
If this is you, we are standing by, ready to help you finally take this step toward creating your plan.
These are the top five reasons why people haven’t done estate planning. Which one resonates the most with you? Maybe there are 2–3 reasons that have stuck with you. No matter where you are, we’re here to help guide you through this process.
We have the same step for everyone starting on this journey: our free, 15-minute Discovery Call. Click here to schedule a time that works for you. Today is the day you finally decide that these reasons won’t keep you from protecting what matters most.
