When someone mentions Wills, Trusts or estate planning what comes to mind? Have you ever thought to yourself “I just want to control my property while I’m alive, take care of me and my loved ones if I become disabled, and give what I have, to who I want, the way I want, and when I want. Plus, I want to save every last tax dollar, professional fee, and court cost legally possible.” Addressing these issues is what we attorneys call Estate Planning. It’s really nothing more than addressing these concerns that we all have.
Most people don’t realize, however, that even if they don’t take time to prepare their own estate plan, they already have one.
Every person has an estate plan whether they know it or not. If you haven’t taken time to prepare your own estate plan, don’t worry the State has one for you and the government is more than happy to decide –
- who will be in charge of your affairs,
- who will receive your assets,
- who will take care of your minor children,
- who will care for you in the event that you’re incapacitated,
and all this will be handled in court, in public view, where your family is stuck for months, sometimes years, dealing with the lack of planning and paying court costs, attorneys fees and other administration fees to deal with your estate.
Don’t make this mistake.
If you are like me and many of my clients, you want to avoid the state taking control and making these kinds of decisions for you. You also want to avoid leaving your family in this situation. A property drafted estate plan can lay out who should take care of any minor children, who will help you during any period you might be incapacitated, how your estate should be left to your children, heirs or anyone of your choosing. A trust-based estate plan also allows your trustee and agents to handle all of this without court involvement, which saves time, costs and attorney’s fees down the road. It’s also more private because things are not filed with the court and your affairs don’t become a matter of public record.
An attorney at our firm is happy to sit down with you in a friendly casual atmosphere and talk about creating a plan of your choosing. One that keeps your affairs private and avoids the government’s involvement while saving your estate from unnecessary legal fees.