Estate planning can help you control your property while you are alive. You can decide who gets what, when, and how they get it. Estate planning can help reduce the taxes your family has to pay after you die and help avoid probate. Probate is a court process that can be expensive and time-consuming. Estate planning can also help you plan for incapacity. This means that if you become unable to make decisions about your property, someone you trust will be able to do it for you.