Wills, Trusts, and Estate Attorneys
Effective estate planning involves much more than having a last will and testament. Estate planning can help manage your financial affairs during your lifetime and help you control the distribution of your wealth after death through legacy planning.
An effective estate planning strategy can spell out your healthcare wishes and ensure that they’re carried out – even if you are unable to communicate. It can even designate someone to manage your financial affairs should you be unable to do so.
Without an estate plan, your assets could end up getting tied up in the probate process. As a result, your family could be burdened with the unnecessary stress and legal fees of having to hire a probate lawyer during what will already be a difficult time.
It’s important to realize that estate planning isn’t just about preserving and distributing your assets after you’ve died. Estate planning is a crucial part of preserving and managing those assets during your retirement years as well.
What Are the Basic Elements of a Well-Thought-Out Estate Plan?
When it comes to estate planning, the basic package consists of having a living trust and will, plus some form of Durable Power of Attorney in place for making financial and/or healthcare decisions. It won’t cost you a lot to get these items in place, and the peace of mind these estate planning tools can provide is priceless.
Through our long-standing relationships with legal professionals in the area, we can recommend a qualified trust and estate attorney to provide legal advice and write the required documents. Plus, they’ll often give you a discount because of our relationship with them.