One of the most important "to-do" items on your life's list is estate planning. It should be done sooner rather than later because you don't know when you might need it. Legendary jazz singer Etta James was only 72 when she died. She was suffering from dementia, leukemia and other problems. An Olympic skier from Canada died at the early age of 29 because of injuries she sustained from a skiing accident. Death can strike at any age.

Plan now. Planning your estate may seem intimidating, but it does not have to be. Documents that help with your estate - and save your heirs money - include trust documents, living wills and powers of attorney.

A movie star died unexpectedly at 50 years old from a heart attack. It was alleged that he was not close to his family, yet his family got everything. The family sued the movie star's girlfriend because she was in possession of a laptop that allegedly contained a manuscript for another movie. The movie star died without a will or other estate documents.

Since you worked hard for what you have, you should be able to say who gets your estate after you die or should you become incapacitated. Without the proper estate planning documents, your estate will pass to relatives dictated by state law.

Another responsibility you should not shirk is appointing medical and financial decision makers. Etta James' two adult sons and her husband - the man she'd been married to for 42 years - were embroiled in a serious controversy over her care during the last year of her life. She signed a power of attorney, giving her son the power to manage parts of her life, but her husband alleges that she signed it after dementia already set in, and that she was not competent enough to do it. They fought over who would make medical and financial decisions.

Source: Forbes, "Etta James, Others Remind of Need for Estate Planning in 2012," Jan. 24, 2012