Estate Planning
Do You Need an Attorney’s Help When Planning Your Estate?
Estate planning is not only for celebrities and millionaires. If you own any assets or have wishes for how you should be treated in an emergency, you need documents such as a living will, trust, power of attorney, and last will. From determining a guardian for your dependents to describing who you wish to throw your final send-off to, an estate planning lawyer can help you legalize and customize your wishes in detail.
Depending on your specific case, estate planning needs proper planning for your future. It would be best if you considered various ways and options when making the right decision for your scenario. It’s more than just giving away assets and property after death. Planning your estate will allow you to utilize several complex and flexible options to protect yourself and your loved ones in an emergency. Our professional Sumter, SC, Probate/Estate Planning Lawyer will think ahead, so you don’t have to stress in case the unthinkable happens.
Guardianship & Conservatorship
If you care for special needs dependents, minor children, or incapacitated adults, you have to face the decision of selecting who will take care of them if something happens to you. Both conservatorships and guardianships empower a chosen entity or individual, like a professional fiduciary or family member, to oversee the affairs of the dependent.
A conservatorship will be limited to making financial decisions in the best interest of the benefit of a ward. At the same time, the guardian will look after the ward’s personal welfare, making educational and medical decisions. A professional and experienced Sumter, SC, Probate/Estate Planning Lawyer can help you understand what works best for you.
Last Will and Testament
Unlike how films depict them, the last will and testaments must never be dramatically drafted and hidden away. These documents express your wishes regarding who will receive certain assets, who will be in charge of distributing your assets and property, and how you want your life to be honored at your funeral.
Remember, dying without a will means the court decides how your assets will be distributed. Work with an experienced Sumter, SC, Probate/Estate Planning Lawyer to make all your wishes crystal clear and actionable. They will also help you avoid giving your family heartache and stress after passing.
Living Will
You can free your loved ones from making any difficult decisions in case of an emergency because living will give you the power to express what you want in advance. In a situation where you cannot make any decisions for your care, a living will help clarify your stance on medical treatments, such as resuscitation or life support, enabling you to give direction for particular forms of care. It is a vital document that will speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself.
Revocable Living Trust
You can easily avoid expensive probate using a revocable living trust. A professional Sumter, SC, Probate/Estate Planning Lawyer can ensure all your assets are placed in a trust, so they aren’t subject to probate. Trust will provide ownership of all your asset to a trust you create, so they belong to the trust and not to the beneficiaries or the trust maker. However, the trust maker can still maintain control and oversee its assets by becoming a trustee.
A revocable living trust can be updated, changed, altered, or even revoked entirely until the trustee dies. An estate planning lawyer can easily explain the process and even guide you through the setup, ensuring this document clearly reflects your specific needs.
Probate
A probate is a court process where a will is determined to be legit, an executor is named to take charge of the estates, debts are paid, and the remaining property is divided among beneficiaries. The process can be a little expensive and time-consuming since it often delays beneficiaries from getting assets or even saying goodbye to their loved ones.
A professional Sumter, SC, Probate/Estate Planning Lawyer will help guide you through the process if you have already been to the court. They can even protect certain assets from going through the process if planned correctly. A solid estate plan drafted by an attorney will surely minimize or even eliminate having to go via probate.
Power Of Attorney
A power of attorney is generally coupled with a living will. It enables you to empower an individual to make several decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. While most of us know how we feel about staying alive on life support, we never know what may happen to us and what medical queries may arise.
A power of attorney grants an individual the right to answer any unexpected questions on your behalf. A financial power of attorney can help appoint someone to handle all critical financial decisions on your behalf. These can be pretty flexible and must be discussed with an attorney to be employed to their fullest extent.
Contact Our Team For More Information.
If you have any doubts, concerns, or queries related to Probate and Estate Planning, we suggest you contact our team immediately. Our expert attorneys have years of training and experience dealing with complex probate and estate planning cases. We can effortlessly help you navigate the process and ensure you make only the best decision for yourself.