Estate Planning
Estate Planning isn’t about how much money you have, it’s about protecting what you have for you, during your life and for those you love, after you’re gone. It ensures what you have gets to the people you love, the way you want, when you want.
If you were to die today, are you comfortable everything will be taken care of the way you want? Estate Planning is legally ensuring things will be handled the way you want by providing sufficient instructions.
Dying without a valid Will is called intestacy. The probate court appoints an administrator to distribute assets held in the decedent’s name according to state law. The law provides that the property shall be distributed to the closest surviving relatives in the following order: surviving spouse, children, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and next of kin. For example, if the decedent had 2 adult children, the intestacy laws provide that the estate be divided equally between the children. If you want to direct any part of your property to a non-family member, you must have a Will or trust.
Estate Planning really is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you have $4,000 or $400,000. You still have to plan for life’s possibilities. Whether it’s to name a trusted individual to manage your finances if you become disabled or to name a guardian for your minor children or to ensure wishes are known and a procedure is in place to honor your wishes.
Estate Planning can be as simple as a Will, Health Care Directive and Power of Attorney for Asset Management. It can also include a revocable probate-avoidance trust, asset protection trusts, multi-generational tax-saving trusts, insurance trusts, tax-saving charitable trusts, private family foundations, and many other fact-specific strategies.
Keeping your Estate Plan Current…
Once completed, your Estate Plan should be reviewed and kept current with life events such as birth, death, marriage or divorce of anyone included in your plan. In addition, you should review your plan if there is a significant increase or decrease in your finances or if the laws related to your Estate Plan change.
Contact us today at (760) 754-2381 or click the “Contact Us” page and send us an instant email, and let us help you determine what amount of Estate Planning is right for you and your family.