Estate planning isn’t just for high-net-worth individuals. Most people have homes, vehicles, real estate, investments, furniture, and savings accounts, considered assets. If these personal possessions are important to you, it’s important to plan how these assets will be divided in the event of your death or incapacitation.
Estate planning outlines who you want to receive the property, how much they receive, and when they can acquire the possessions. Primarily, an estate plan can help ensure your wishes are carried out.
What Does an Estate Planning Attorney Do?
Estate planning or probate attorneys provide the legal support to help you properly plan your estate. Estate planning attorneys have a depth of knowledge of federal and state laws and how they can affect how your estate is valued, collected, or taxed upon your incapacitation or death. Other essential duties of estate planning attorneys include:
- Establishing a durable power of attorney
- Meeting the estate beneficiaries
- Arranging and organizing the transfer of assets to the beneficiaries
- Establishing solutions to reduce taxes on the estate
- Creating relevant restrictions to ensure the deceased’s wishes are carried out
- Managing life insurance policies, retirement plans, and charitable contributions
How Can an Estate Planning Attorney Help?
- Help Avoid the Costly and Lengthy Probate Process: Probate is a court proceeding involving transferring and distributing a deceased’s property. Going through this process can be time-consuming and expensive. A San Diego estate planning attorney can help ensure your assets are designated appropriately, eliminating the need for probate.
- Protecting Your Legacy for the Future: An estate plan includes: last testament and will, trust, advance health care directive, HIPAA and power of attorney for financial decisions.
- Modifying and Updating when Necessary: Your estate plan is affected whenever there is a change in assets, health, the birth of a child, or divorce. Whatever the change, you should plan to update and modify your estate plan throughout your life. Whether you are busy with the divorce process or the new child, a probate attorney can help ensure the necessary changes are made.
Contact a San Diego Estate Planning Attorney
Seeking the legal support of a San Diego estate planning attorney is one of the best things you can do to ensure your wishes are carried out. At Sole Law, our legal team is ready to assist you plan your estate. Contact us online or call us at (619) 369 0461 to schedule a free consultation.