Estate Planning 101: Estate Planning Made Easy for California Property Owners

If you live in California, a prosperous state with sky-high real estate values in its urban area, it is advisable that you have your estate planning documents in place. Doing this will help prevent probate after your death. Although all estate plans are unique, there are some documents you must have in place if you want to secure your present and the future. If you do it the right way, you will have planned your lifetime financial and healthcare needs before you die or become incapacitated.

To actualize all these with ease, you should work with the Law Office of R. Grace Rodriguez. Our lawyers offer comprehensive services to our clients. We will hear you out and work with you to devise an appropriate and effective strategy to make your real estate planning work out as expected.

If you own a property in California, this article is definitely for you. We will be laying emphasis on the major documents you need in real estate planning. Let’s explore more.

Advance Health Care Directive

This document allows you to appoint someone under the power of an attorney for your health care in case you become incapacitated during your lifetime. It allows you to dictate if your life should be prolonged by the use of machines or not. You can also specify what to do to your body after death, for example, an organ donation.

General Durable Power of Attorney

The general power of attorney is a document that grants someone else authority over your financial transactions and property. You don’t really need to go to court to get this document done. As long as you are alive, you still have a say on your property and to whom you assign this power. You should appoint someone you trust to be in charge and make decisions on your behalf. This is because you may likely not be in a position to oversee their actions.

Last Will & Testament

A will is a document that states your final wishes and gives instructions on how you want your property divided after your death. It is common for a will to carry the executor’s name who will carry out the wishes of the testator.

If the deceased has minor children, then the will must include the guardianship provision for the children. It will also include how debts and taxes should be paid. Californians prefer to combine this document with the living trust, another important document in real estate planning.

Living Trust

This is a legal agreement in which a trustee is appointed by the owner to be in possession of the property on behalf of the beneficiaries. The trust agreement will specify how you want the property divided when you die or become incapacitated and who should take over as the trustee.

Wrapping Up

By now, you know what good estate planning looks like. However, if you want to achieve your estate planning goals, you will need to work with an experienced lawyer.

To get the best results, we will recommend you to work with The Law Office of R. Grace Rodriguez. We are a California-based and dedicated lawyer with a passion for real estate and asset protection. We will give you solid guidance in your estate planning process that will leave an everlasting smile on your face.

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