One of the primary legal issues we help you and your family plan for is the end of life. We use legal documents, like Wills and Trusts, to answer critical questions like, “Who will be my beneficiaries after I’m gone?” and “Who do I trust to handle my estate?”
A valid Last Will and Testament enables you to draft around state law and to specify how your property will be divided upon your passing. You may choose to execute what we call a simple Will. This type of Will leaves all of your assets to your spouse, and then after your spouse is gone, all assets are left to your children in equal shares. In many cases, however, not all beneficiaries are treated the same. Your Will should be tailored to the needs of your beneficiaries, potentially addressing issues like disability, drug or alcohol dependency, money management problems, and complicated marriages.
Without a Will, state law dictates who will receive your property upon death, as well as who will be named by the court to handle your estate.
A very common alternative to the traditional Last Will and Testament is a Revocable Living Trust. A well-drafted revocable trust, along with proper asset organization, completely replaces the need for a Will-based plan. The revocable trust is established during your lifetime but allows you to terminate, revoke, or amend the document at any time. The revocable trust is primarily used for probate avoidance and to streamline the transfer of assets to others after your passing.
The estate planning attorneys at our firm are well versed in will and trust planning strategies and are able to assist you and your family determine the appropriate legal documents you need for the end of life planning.
A valid Last Will and Testament enables you to draft around state law and to specify how your property will be divided upon your passing. You may choose to execute what we call a simple Will. This type of Will leaves all of your assets to your spouse, and then after your spouse is gone, all assets are left to your children in equal shares. In many cases, however, not all beneficiaries are treated the same. Your Will should be tailored to the needs of your beneficiaries, potentially addressing issues like disability, drug or alcohol dependency, money management problems, and complicated marriages.
Without a Will, state law dictates who will receive your property upon death, as well as who will be named by the court to handle your estate.
A very common alternative to the traditional Last Will and Testament is a Revocable Living Trust. A well-drafted revocable trust, along with proper asset organization, completely replaces the need for a Will-based plan. The revocable trust is established during your lifetime but allows you to terminate, revoke, or amend the document at any time. The revocable trust is primarily used for probate avoidance and to streamline the transfer of assets to others after your passing.
The estate planning attorneys at our firm are well versed in will and trust planning strategies and are able to assist you and your family determine the appropriate legal documents you need for the end of life planning.
