An estate plan is your legal legacy as it allows you to prepare for what will happen after you pass way or if you can no longer take care of yourself and your estate. More than just a list of whoever gets your possessions and belongings after you die, an LA estate planning involves a lot more work and requires thorough knowledge of state and federal laws.
While you can choose to do things yourself, there are many reasons why hiring a Los Angeles estate planning attorney is a good idea. Let’s get into those reasons.
How to write a will in Los Angeles properly
When we talk about estate planning in LA, the first thing people think about is a last will and testament. You’ve undoubtedly seen movies and TV shows depicting this with someone reading a letter written by someone who is recently deceased, so many people think it’s simply about writing a note that details what you want to happen to your belongings and who will inherit these.
There’s actually more to writing a will and doing proper estate planning in LA since it will be a legal document. While it’s possible to look for templates online and simply fill in the blanks, making just one mistake can invalidate the whole will. That’s why it’s better to hire an estate planning lawyer in LA to make sure everything is correct and abides by the law.
What does an estate planning lawyer in LA do?
Helping you customize and write your will without messing things up is only one of the many functions a Los Angeles estate planning attorney does for their clients. These include:
- Preparing a last will and testament that’s harder to contest after you die
- Help you set up a testamentary trust or living trust
- Transfer assets into your trust and oversee trust administration
- Appoint guardians for your children
- Help with tax planning and wealth transfers
- Find ways to reduce and avoid estate tax when possible
- Find ways to avoid the probate court process
- Make a plan for charitable giving
- Plan for unexpected situations such as the death of a beneficiary
- Write a living will outlining your end-of-life decisions
- Establish durable power of attorney and medical durable power of attorney
- Answer any questions or clarifications about estate planning in LA , state and federal laws.
What situations require an LA estate planning lawyer?
While most will benefit from hiring an attorney to help with their estate planning in LA, there are some situations where it may not be necessary, or you may not want to pay for their services. But on the other hand, there are some situations where the help of a professional is needed and necessary. Here are some common situations where you should consider hiring an estate planning attorney in LA:
- You’re a small business owner/business partner who needs help with
- business succession planning.
- You have out-of-state property or assets.
- You have foreign property or assets.
- You’re planning to bequeath assets to someone who isn’t a citizen.
- You want to leave a legacy.
- You have a blended family.
- You want to disinherit your immediate family.
- You have immediate family members with special needs or who qualify for government benefits.
- You want to protect your assets from Medicaid.
- You need to set up an irrevocable trust.
Get the best help when estate planning in LA
Planning your estate and determining what happens to your possessions so you can take care of your surviving family is not something you want to leave up to chance. As much confidence as you have in yourself to be able to take care of this on your own, hiring an estate planning attorney in Los Angeles.
To get the best help with the matter, contact The Law Offices of R. Grace Rodriguez for solid guidance for probate and estate planning. We can help you build and maintain a rock solid estate plan provide legal support for probate administration. Consult today and start on a plan for the future with an experienced lawyer’s help!