An estate attorney offers some specific services that everyone will need eventually. Their services can start before the client passes or they can assist the family after a loved one dies. Their role can include creating documents that will become vital later and helping to administer the distribution of properties and assets when the time comes.
Estate Planning
If you have substantial assets you want to be distributed to specific people, organizations, or family members, it is essential that you hire an estate attorney to help you organize them. The legal documents are necessary to ensure these things happen the way you want them to are too complicated for most people to deal with on their own, and the attorney helping you can offer advice about the process that goes beyond the legal requirements.
An estate attorney will go over all the assets you have and make some suggestions about how each thing should proceed. If you are donating money or other property to charity, there can be limitations that you are bound to by law, and navigating the process can be tricky.
The planned process can involve money, property, business holdings, and personal items that belong to you. Take the time to ask questions and discuss your options with your lawyer. This is the time to ensure that you include everything of value to you in the estate or liquidate things that you no longer want or need. The estate attorney can help with this, and their resources will make the process easier for you and your family.
Wills And Trusts
Your estate attorney is the best resource for putting your will, trust, or legal paperwork together that will outline your wishes and ensure that your estate is in order before it is necessary. If, after your death, the will is contested, you need the estate attorney to have everything in order so they can defend it in court.
If the estate is not in order, the assets may end up in probate, and the control will shift to the court. The distribution of assets could end up out of the family's hands, and your wishes challenged. Working with an estate attorney to advise you and draw up the papers you need is the best way to combat these problems and ensure that everything is done correctly, so your family is provided for, and the estate is settled smoothly.
In many cases, there will be tax implications that need to assessing and dealt with, and if your children are young, deciding guardianship for them and ensuring it is legally filed can fall into the service of an estate attorney. You can sit down with them to get a bigger picture of what they can offer in your specific situation.
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