Wills and Probate
Wills and probate are two commonly known words to describe legal concerns for end of life matters. These legal matters should be attended to and not ignored. Michael can aid with these matters with dignity and respect for you and your family.
Here are a few of the common terms with explanations:
Will: A will is document which passes assets to others once the document creator passes away.
Probate: A legal process used by the courts to legally pass assets after the death of a person. This process also provides protection for the estate of the deceased person against unauthorized claims.
Living Will: Sometimes called an Advanced Medical Directive, this document expresses medical wishes of a person when that person can no longer give informed consent.
Healthcare Power of Attorney: This document gives medical decision making authority to a person nominated by the author of the document.
Durable Power of Attorney: This document gives decision making authority for financial or other aspects of life to a person nominated by the author of the document.
Preneed Guardianship: Document which asks court to appoint a certain person to care for children in the event of the death or incapacitation of the authors of the document.
Trust: A legal mechanism to hold, protect, and pass assets from one person or family to another in the event of death or other event.
These documents and concepts are basic outlines on available estate planning tools. As not one person or family is the same these tools must be specifically tailored to the person or family. Michael is committed to providing tailored legal services in estate planning and across all his practice areas.
Discounts available for military and first responders (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical) for estate planning products.
A note about wills. A will is an ancient document. While there have been changes in form, practically, the will has not kept up with the evolution of the modern family. Families are more likely to be "blended" and more likely to be spread over larger geographic areas. For many families a trust is an additional legal instrument to protect and pass assets in a prompt fashion. Trust operate in addition to a will. Contact me and ask me if a trust would aid your estate planning needs.